3D ultrasound to detect early breast tumor response to chemotherapy
Official title: Developing a quantitative ultrasound breast scanner for identifying early response of breast cancer to chemotherapy
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11404777 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A 3D quantitative ultrasound scanner will be used to detect early changes in breast tumors during chemotherapy for people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $156,781 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA273700-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404777 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with breast cancer who are starting or undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and can attend serial breast ultrasound sessions are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving chemotherapy, those with tumors that cannot be imaged by the scanner, or those unable to travel for repeated scans are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If I join, I would have my breast scanned with a 3D QT Ultrasound tomographic scanner that creates quantitative images like sound speed and tissue reflectivity. The research team will add new imaging modes that measure ultrasound backscatter across the whole breast to improve volumetric accuracy. They will take scans before and during chemotherapy to look for early signs that the tumor is responding. The goal is to spot response much earlier than standard imaging so treatment can be adjusted sooner if needed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors know within weeks whether chemotherapy is working so patients can avoid ineffective treatment and switch to better options sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies using quantitative ultrasound backscatter on hand-held scanners showed promising early response signals, and applying these methods in a 3D tomographic device is a newer step.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oelze, Michael L. — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Oelze, Michael L.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A 3D ultrasound scanner to see early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A new 3D ultrasound imaging method will be tested to see if it can quickly show whether breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy.
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3D ultrasound method to see early breast cancer response to chemotherapy
A new 3D ultrasound imaging method is being tested to quickly tell if breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy, using a FDA-cleared scanner at an affordable cost.
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3D ultrasound to detect early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A 3D ultrasound scanner will be used to find whether a patient's breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy soon after treatment starts.
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Creating a new ultrasound scanner to detect how well breast cancer responds to chemotherapy
This study is testing a new type of ultrasound scanner that creates detailed 3D images of breast tumors to help doctors see how well chemotherapy is working for breast cancer patients, aiming to catch changes earlier than traditional methods.
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Magnetic resonance fingerprinting to gauge chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A patient-facing look at using a special MRI method (MRF) to see early whether breast cancer is responding to preliminary chemotherapy.
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Understanding how chemotherapy affects breast cancer spread and liver immunity
A research project looks at how standard breast cancer chemotherapy may change the immune system and cancer spread, especially to the liver, in people with aggressive breast cancer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.