In a release, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) stated that a new study on the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to evaluate brain tumors published in the journal Nature Medicine underscores the value of advanced medical imaging in evaluating the effectiveness of chemotherapy and any subsequent treatment adjustments.
“With a more sophisticated understanding of whether and when a patient’s tumor is responding favorably to a particular therapy regimen, we are one step closer to truly personalized medicine: tailoring therapies to the patient — and not wasting precious time or resources on less effective treatments,” said Gail Rodriguez, executive director of MITA.
In the study, researchers from the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital used vessel architectural imaging, a new method of analyzing data acquired through MR imaging. They were able to identify changes in brain tumor blood vessels within days of the initiation of anti-angiogenesis therapy and found that subjects with these responses had prolonged survival. Researchers were able to see the effects of therapy after just 28 days of treatment for most patients, with some showing results even just one day after their treatment began.
