[Future perspectives for diagnostic imaging in urology: from anatomic and functional to molecular imaging.]

The future approach of diagnostic imaging in urology follows the technological progress, which made the visualization of in vivo molecular processes possible. 
From anatomo-morphological diagnostic imaging and through functional imaging molecular radiology is reached.
Based on molecular probes, imaging is aimed at assessing the in vivo molecular processes, their physiology and function at cellular level.
The future imaging will investigate the complex tumor functioning as metabolism, aerobic glycolysis in particular, angiogenesis, cell proliferation, metastatic potential, hypoxia, apoptosis and receptors expressed by neoplastic cells.
Methods for performing molecular radiology are CT, MRI, PET-CT, PET-MRI, SPECT and optical imaging.
Molecular ultrasound combines technological advancement with targeted contrast media based on microbubbles, this allowing the selective registration of microbubble signal while that of stationary tissues is suppressed.
An experimental study was carried out where the ultrasound molecular probe BR55 strictly bound to prostate tumor results in strong enhancement in the early phase after contrast, this contrast being maintained in the late phase. This late enhancement is markedly significant for the detection of prostatic cancer foci and to guide the biopsy sampling.
The 124I-cG250 molecular antibody which is strictly linked to cellular carbonic anhydrase IX of clear cell renal carcinoma, allows the acquisition of diagnostic PET images of clear cell renal carcinoma without biopsy. This WG-250 (RENCAREX) antibody was used as a therapy in metastatic clear cell renal carcinoma.
Future advancements and applications will result in early cancer diagnosis, personalized therapy that will be specific according to the molecular features of cancer and leading to the development of catheter-based multichannel molecular imaging devices for cystoscopy-based molecular imaging diagnosis and intervention.