A new scanning technique developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge could improve ovarian cancer treatment. — TNS
Scientists have developed a new type of scan which could rapidly reveal which treatments work best for ovarian cancer patients.
Using the new MRI imaging technique, medics can distinguish between different sub-types of the disease which can reveal how sensitive women may be to different treatments.
With current tests, patients typically wait for weeks or months to find out whether their cancer is responding to treatment.
But it is hoped that the new scanning technique could speed up the process and help cancer doctors personalise care for patients within days.
Academics from the University of Cambridge in Britain said the new technique, called hyperpolarised carbon-13 imaging, can “increase the detected signal in an MRI scanner by more than 10,000 times.”
The technique can show whether a tumour is sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy drug Carboplatin, one of the standard first-line treatments for ovarian cancer, experts said in the journal Oncogene.
“This technique tells us how aggressive an ovarian cancer tumour is, and could allow doctors to assess multiple tumours in a patient to give a more holistic assessment of disease prognosis so the most appropriate treatment can be selected,” said Professor Kevin Brindle from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry, senior author of the report.
“We can image a tumour pre-treatment to predict how likely it is to respond, and then we can image again immediately after treatment to confirm whether it has indeed responded.
“This will help doctors to select the most appropriate treatment for each patient and adjust this as necessary.
“One of the questions cancer patients ask most often is whether their treatment is working. If oncologists can speed their patients onto the best treatment, then it’s clearly of benefit.”
The scanning technique has been assessed in laboratory settings and in the next phase of the trial experts will assess the technique on ovarian cancer patients.
More than 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year in Britain. – PA Media/dpa
