Introduction to Field Cycle Imaging
A new scanner derived from MRI technology could be used to track the spread of brain cancer and lead to improved treatment of patients. Researchers have been awarded £350,000 by the Scottish government to generate pictures of glioblastoma brain tumors using this technology.
What is Glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive brain tumor type, with over 3,000 new patients diagnosed in the UK every year. Unfortunately, half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis, even after extensive surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Field Cycle Imaging (FCI) Technology
Field Cycle Imaging (FCI) is a new and specialized type of MRI scan that uses low magnetic fields. It has already been shown to effectively capture tumors in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients. The FCI scanner is the only one of its kind in the world and has the ability to see how organs are affected by diseases in a way that was not previously possible.
How FCI Works
The FCI scanner can vary the strength of the magnetic field during a patient’s scan, allowing it to extract more information about the tissue. This technology can recognize tumors without the need to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients.
Potential Benefits of FCI
The people involved in the project will scan chemotherapy-treated glioblastoma after operations and chemoradiotherapy. It is hoped that research will prove that FCI can recognize the difference between tumor growth and progression and "pseudo progression", which looks like a tumor but is not cancer tissue. This could improve care and quality of life for patients.
Impact on Patient Care
If FCI can identify real tumor progression at an early stage, patients can be switched to a more potentially beneficial type of chemotherapy. Additionally, the possibility that a patient has pseudo progression will prevent effective chemotherapy from being stopped too early, which can deteriorate the prognosis. The granting of security also reduces fear for both patients and relatives and improves the quality of life of patients.
Future Developments
It is hoped that this study and associated future work will improve the quality, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency of the healthcare system in the treatment of glioblastoma patients in Scotland and beyond. A reliable method for identifying progressive disease will enable the development and more precise assessment of emerging potential treatments, which is particularly important since patients currently have a limited selection of treatments to combat their cancer.
