INTRODUCTION Though Cancer may be difficult to detect, the earlier it is diagnosed the better. Cross-sectional images are thin slices of the body produced by Computed Tomography (CT), Ultrasound (US) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These acquired thin sliced images give better resolution that produce accurate and precise imagery of the internal anatomy of the human body enhancing cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment and follow-up. The role of Cross-sectional imaging in Cancer Care include: Screening:
Evidence abound on the use of Cross-sectional Imaging in Cancer screening. MRI and US are now valuable screening tools, especially in the High-risk patient. They are preferred because of the non-utilization of ionizing Radiation, suitability for guided procedures and for excellent image resolution. Recent advanced imaging techniques such as Virtual CT or MRI Colonoscopy have also assumed roles important in screening for bowel tumors.
Diagnosis and staging:
The CT and MRI images provide profound soft tissue and bone details, that readily localizes the tumor, differentiates between multifocal and multicentric lesions and also demonstrate the extent of locoregional metastasis, the latter is invaluable for tumor staging. The 3D and 4D Cross-sectional Volume images acquired from the Helical CT now assume more engaging and participatory interventional roles in Cancer Care. This is a major paradigm shift that allows for image-guided interventions, namely; biopsies, drainages and minimally-invasive therapeutic procedures necessary for Cancer Management.
Treatment Response and Monitoring
Cross-sectional images provide pictures and data that help to evaluate the vascularity, size, shape, outline and constituents of a tumor. These are important parameters of inter and post therapeutic images necessary for regular evaluation of effectiveness of the administered therapy. The wholistic personalized approach of management by the Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards (MDT) is now the adopted standard of care for disease monitoring and detection of tumor recurrence.
CONCLUSION Cross sectional imaging certainly plays a vital role in the diagnosis, guided studies, intervention and follow up of Cancer patients. The need for standard reporting and documentation as well as the benefits of the MDT in Cancer Care will be the highlight of this presentation.

Oncology imaging is performed to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. In the past, oncology treatment involved the use of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy alone but strategies have evolved to include metabolic, ablative, anti-angiogenic treatments targeted at both size and functional affectation of tumours with measurement parameters changing from uni- to multi-dimensional. The challenges faced in oncology imaging have also changed as anatomical coverage and sensitivity were the main concerns for screening and workup then. Now, therapeutic response assessment and follow-up are key issues in oncology management that require objective criteria for increased specificity and reproducibility of imaging assessments. Although CT, MRI and PET are currently utilized in oncology imaging, there are recent advances in techniques that can be applied to existing modalities such as DWI, ADC, CT Perfusion. CT perfusion is useful in oncology for tissues characterization, prognosis, and prediction of tumour response to chemotherapy (systemic or local) prior to an actual change in tumour size. Perfusion values are quite distinct in benign and malignant lesions hence, tumour aggressiveness and propensity to metastasize can be predicted due to increased angiogenesis as can necrotic tumours that indicate hypoxia can predict likely non responders to chemo-radiation. MRI is another evolving modality that improves phenotyping of cancers, assess treatment response by relying on the high contrast and spatial resolution and physiological evaluation of tumour morphology, vascularity and oxygenation in blood and surrounding tissue. Metabolism with 13C and diffusion can also be measured with ADC mapping and DWI. Recently fusion studies such as PET/MRI can further be applied to improve the sensitivity of oncology imaging.
Molecular imaging involves measurement of biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. It integrates biology, imaging and chemistry and utilizes many targets/agents at clinical and preclinical levels. New technologies like molecular imaging, optical/ optoacoustic imaging and biology driven interventional radiology and theranostics have created new frontiers in oncology imaging. Radiomics is an emerging translational field of research that can extract mineable high-dimensional data from clinical images using a high-throughput quantitative method to discover clinically relevant data not detectable from radiological images. The future is in the integration of these features to facilitate deep learning and Artificial Intelligence involvement in oncology management. Personalized oncology treatment focuses on genomic analysis, targeted drug therapy, cancer therapeutics and molecular diagnostics. Genes, gene expressions, proteins and metabolites now guide imaging interventions and biomarker use have predictive, prognostic and early response markers.