Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that makes cancerous tissue glow in medical images. This innovation could enable more accurate detection and tracking of cancer over time.
“Our studies show this new technology has promising potential to improve cancer screening, prognosis and treatment planning,” said first author Professor Alexander Wong.
Irregular packing of cells leads to differences in the way water molecules move in cancerous tissue compared to healthy tissue. The new technology, called synthetic correlated diffusion imaging, highlights these differences by capturing, synthesising and mixing MRI signals at different gradient pulse strengths and timings.
In the largest study of its kind, the researchers collaborated with medical experts at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, several Toronto hospitals and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research to apply the technology to a cohort of 200 patients with prostate cancer.
The synthetic correlated diffusion imaging was found to be better at delineating significant cancerous tissue than current imaging technique, making it a potentially powerful addition to the toolbox for doctors and radiologists.
“Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in more developed countries,” said Prof Wong. “That’s why we targeted it first in our research.
“We also have very promising results for breast cancer screening, detection, and treatment planning. This could be a game-changer for many kinds of cancer imaging and clinical decision support.”
Source: University of Waterloo
