Toward Precision Radiotherapy: Physiological Modeling of Respiratory Motion Based on Ultra-quality 4D-MRI
University of Virginia
Summary
The purpose of this study is to develop new ways to make medical images of the lungs and liver of adults using a technique called four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D-MRI). This technique produces three-dimensional movies of the inside of the chest and abdomen while the patient is breathing. (The fourth dimension is time!) This new way of medical imaging is being developed to help cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used to treat cancerous tumors. For radiation therapy to be effective, the precise size, shape, and location of the tumor within the body must be known. A particular difficulty for radiation treatment of lung and liver cancer is that the tumor moves during treatment because the patient is breathing. Therefore, tumor motion must also be incorporated into the treatment plan. This study aims to improve radiation treatment planning through better targeting and dose estimation based on 4D-MRI. Before this new imaging method can be used for radiation treatment planning, it must be tested in living, breathing volunteers.
Description
Radiotherapy for cancer has been a forerunner of personalized medicine, developing individualized treatments based on patient-specific anatomical information. Despite many advances in radiotherapy over the past decade, which have effectively enhanced local or loco-regional tumor control for many patients, there remains substantial room for improvement. The challenges for radiotherapy to further widen the therapeutic window in the era of precision medicine are mainly two-fold: (a) further improve radiation dose conformity to the defined target volume, and (b) adapt novel biological strategies f…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–82 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria:The inclusion criteria for lung and liver cancer patients are: * Patient is 21 or older * Patient has primary or metastatic tumor(s) in the lungs or the liver * Diameter of the tumor(s) is less than 7 cm * Patient will receive radiation therapy (ordered by the treating Radiation Oncologist) as part of their treatment regimen * Patient will undergo a planning CT scan with tumor motion assessment (planning 4D-CT ordered by the treating Radiation Oncologist) as part of their treatment regimen * Patient has signed informed consent and is willing to comply with the 4D-MRI imagin…
Interventions
- Diagnostic TestMagnetic Resonance Imaging
Four-dimensional MRI of torso
Location
- University of VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia