Cinematic rendering of pancreatic neoplasms: preliminary observations and opportunities

Linda C. Chu, Pamela T. Johnson, Elliot K. Fishman

Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death and CT is the most commonly used modality for the initial evaluation of suspected pancreatic cancer. Post-processing of CT data into 2D multiplanar and 3D reconstructions has been shown to improve tumor visualization and assessment of tumor resectability compared to axial slices, and is considered the standard of care. Cinematic rendering is a new 3D-rendering technique that produces photorealistic images, and it has the potential to more accurately depict anatomic detail compared to traditional 3D reconstruction techniques. The purpose of this article is to describe the potential application of CR to imaging of pancreatic neoplasms. CR has the potential to improve visualization of subtle pancreatic neoplasms, differentiation of solid and cystic pancreatic neoplasms, assessment of local tumor extension and vascular invasion, and visualization of metastatic disease.