Close
Open
Share on Facebook
Twitter
Email
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Menu
Search
Menu
Search
  • Doctors, Clinics & Locations, Conditions & Treatments
  • Patients & Visitors
  • MyHealth
  • Billing
  • Insurance
  • Medical Records
  • Support Groups
  • Financial Assistance
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Locations and Parking
  • Visitor Policy
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Video Visits
  • International Patients
  • Contact Us
View All Information for Patients & Visitors »
We are available to assist you 24/7.
650-498-3333
GuestServices@stanfordhealthcare.org


View the changes to our visitor policy »

 

View information for Guest Services »

New to MyHealth?

Manage Your Care From Anywhere.

Access your health information from any device with MyHealth.  You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Activate Account

DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Create a New Account

NEED MORE DETAILS?

Learn More about MyHealth »
Learn More about Video Visits »

MyHealth for Mobile

Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »

WELCOME BACK

Forgot Username or Password?
Need Help?

Clear

MRI for Salivary Glands Cancer

  • About
  • About
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Types
  • Benign salivary gland tumors
  • Salivary stones
  • Malignant neoplasms
Diagnosis
  • Throat and neck exam
  • CT scan
  • MRI
  • Biopsy
Stages
Treatments
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Types
  • Benign salivary gland tumors
  • Salivary stones
  • Malignant neoplasms
Diagnosis
  • Throat and neck exam
  • CT scan
  • MRI
  • Biopsy
Stages
Treatments

What Is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?

A magnetic resonance (REZ-oh-nans) imaging scan is usually called an MRI. An MRI does not use radiation (X-rays) and is a noninvasive medical test or examination. The MRI machine uses a large magnet and a computer to take pictures of the inside of your body. Each picture or "slice" shows only a few layers of body tissue at a time. The pictures can then be examined on a computer monitor.

Pictures taken this way may help caregivers find and see problems in your body more easily. The scan usually takes between 15 to 90 minutes. Including the scan, the total examination time usually takes between 1.5 to 3 hours.

A substance called gadolinium is injected into a vein to help the physicians see the image more clearly. The gadolinium collects around cancer cells so they show up brighter in the picture. Sometimes a procedure called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is done during the MRI scan. An MRS is used to diagnose tumors based on their chemical make-up.

How does MRI work?

The MRI machine is a large, cylindrical (tube-shaped) machine that creates a strong magnetic field around the patient. This magnetic field, along with a radiofrequency, alters the hydrogen atoms' natural alignment in the body.

A magnetic field is created and pulses of radio waves are sent from a scanner. The radio waves knock the nuclei of the atoms in the body out of their normal position; as the nuclei realign back into proper position, they send out radio signals.

These signals are received by a computer that analyzes and converts them into an image of the part of the body being examined. This image appears on a viewing monitor. Some MRI machines look like narrow tunnels, while others are more open.

MRI may be used instead of a CT scan in situations where organs or soft tissue are being studied, because with MRI scanning bones do not obscure the images of organs and soft tissues, as does CT scanning.

Other related procedures that are used to assess the heart may include:

  • Resting or exercise electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Signal-averaged electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Holter monitor
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Chest X-ray
  • Computed tomography (CT scan) of the chest 
  • Electrophysiological studies
  • Myocardial perfusion scans
  • Radionuclide angiography
  • Ultrafast CT scans
Previous Section Next Section

INTERESTED IN AN ONLINE SECOND OPINION?

The Stanford Medicine Online Second Opinion program offers you easy access to our world-class doctors. It’s all done remotely and you don’t have to visit our hospital or one of our clinics for this service. You don’t even need to leave home!

Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.

Condition Spotlight

Press Release Head & Neck Cancer: Multidisciplinary Care at Stanford Watch Video

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.

Open Trials Closed Trials
Testing the Addition of M3814 (Peposertib) to Radiation Therapy for Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Who Cannot Take Cisplatin Head and Neck Cancer, Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Pharyngeal (Throat) Cancer
T-DM1 and Tucatinib Compared With T-DM1 Alone in Preventing Relapses in People With High Risk HER2-Positive Breast Cancer, the CompassHER2 RD Trial Breast Cancer, Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Pharyngeal (Throat) Cancer
Clinical Trial of a Novel Small Molecule EBNA1 Inhibitor, VK 2019, in Patients With Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-Positive Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC) and Other Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Associated Cancers, With Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Correlative Studies Cancer, Lymphoma, Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Identification of Secreted Markers for Tumor Hypoxia in Patients With Head and Neck or Lung Cancers Hypopharyngeal Cancer, Oropharyngeal Cancer, Salivary Glands Cancer
Clinical Trials View All »

Other Clinics

  • Cancer Center in South Bay
    1-833-444-7622
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find Conditions & Treatments
  • Find a Stanford clinic
  • For Patients & Visitors
  • Billing
  • Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
  • Insurance
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Contact Us
  • Video Visits
  • Send a Greeting Card
  • Get a Second Opinion
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Behavioral Standards
  • Patient Privacy Policy
  • Make a Gift
  • About Us
  • Quality & Safety
  • Annual Report
  • 300 Pasteur Drive Renewal Program
  • Sustainability
  • Stanford Health Care – Now
  • For Healthcare Professionals
  • Referring Physicians
  • Nursing
  • Allied Healthcare Professionals
First Responders
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Volunteering
  • Vendors
  • Supplier Diversity
  • Stanford Medicine Partners
  • Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
  • Stanford Medicine
  • Stanford Medicine Children's Health
  • Stanford University
©2023 Stanford Health Care. All Rights Reserved
Home
Close
Doctors
Clinics & Locations
Conditions & Treatments
Clinical Trials
MyHealth Login

Patients & Visitors
Billing
Insurance
Financial Assistance
Medical Records
Contact Us
Video Visits
Get a Second Opinion
COVID-19 Resource Center
Healthcare Professionals
Referring Physicians
Nursing
Allied Healthcare
About Us
Quality & Safety
Sustainability
Careers
Newsroom
Make a Donation
Stanford Health Care – Now
Close