Polymeric contrast agents for characterizing tumor angiogenesis in medicalimaging

This invention relates to nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods and systems and, particularly, to magnetic resonance imaging of tumors using contrast agents. In a method for characterizing the angiogenesis status of a tumor in a living subject, timed magnetic resonance images of the subject into whom a reptating polymer contrast agent containing chelating diethylentriaminepentacetic acid dosed with gadolinum has been introduced are obtained. At least two images taken at different times are compared in order to determine the percentage image enhancement in a tumor region of interest. A contrast agent including a reptating polymer containing technetium-99 is used with a nuclear medicine version of this technique.