Ultrasound Contrast Imaging in Cancer –Technical Aspects and Prospects

Ultrasound imaging is still an attractive imaging modality thanks to its real-time character and low-cost. Recent technological developments in ultrasound imaging improved significantly the accuracy and confidence of clinical diagnoses. The clinical availability of ultrasound contrast agents over the past 20 years was one of the main recent developments in ultrasound imaging since contrast agents showed a major interest in various clinical situations, and mainly in cancer imaging for tumor perfusion studies. Tissue perfusion assessment allows the detection and characterization of tumor lesion but also the monitoring of anticancer therapy effectiveness. Recently, ultrasound molecular imaging has emerged as a promising tool for the visualization and the quantification of tumor angiogenesis. This new technique needs the development of targeted contrast agents that can bind to the molecular target. This review focuses on the contrast agents' properties and the specific methods currently used in ultrasound contrast agent imaging in oncology. Recent results and prospects in cancer molecular imaging are also discussed.