Imaging of Tumor Angiogenesis: Functional or Targeted?

OBJECTIVE: Angiogenesis--the growth of new vessels--is both a normal physiologic response and a critical step in many pathologic processes, particularly cancer. Imaging has long relied on the different enhancement characteristics of cancer compared with normal tissue; the information generated is often primarily morphologic and qualitative. However, more quantitative methods based on functional and targeted imaging have recently emerged. CONCLUSION: In this article, we review both functional and targeted imaging techniques for assessing tumor angiogenesis.