MRI Scan

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a fairly new technique that has been used since the beginning of the 1980s. MRI scans are used to identify sites and spreads of cancer and other diseases and their response to treatment. They are particularly good at picking up damage or disease in soft tissues such as muscles.

The MRI scan uses magnetic and radio waves.

The patient lies inside a large, cylinder-shaped magnet. Radio waves 10,000 to 30,000 times stronger than the magnetic field of the earth are then sent through the body. This affects the body's atoms, forcing the nuclei into a different position. As they move back into place they send out radio waves of their own. The scanner picks up these signals and a computer turns them into a picture. These pictures are based on the location and strength of the incoming signals.

Contacts

Cancer Research UK

P.O. Box 123
Lincoln's Inn Fields

London WC2A 3PX

020 7242 0200

CancerHelp information

Review date: Nov 2011

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