3D ultrasound to detect early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
Developing a quantitative ultrasound breast scanner for identifying early response of breast cancer to chemotherapy
A 3D ultrasound scanner will be used to find whether a patient's breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy soon after treatment starts.
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 ID | NIH-11145753 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive 3D scans with a QT Ultrasound tomographic breast scanner that produces quantitative images like sound speed and reflectivity. The team will add new imaging modes that use quantitative ultrasound backscatter to look for tissue changes soon after chemotherapy begins. Patients will be scanned before treatment and at early time points during therapy, and those images will be compared with pathology and clinical outcomes to see if early changes predict response. The scanner is FDA cleared and aims to provide more accurate volumetric measurements than conventional handheld ultrasound.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with diagnosed breast cancer who are starting neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy and can attend repeated ultrasound imaging visits.
Not a fit: Patients not receiving chemotherapy, those with tumors not visible by ultrasound, or those unable to undergo repeated breast imaging may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors know within weeks whether chemotherapy is working so treatment can be adjusted sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot work using hand-held quantitative ultrasound backscatter showed promising early indicators of chemotherapy response, and this project builds on that work with 3D tomographic imaging.
Where this research is happening
Champaign, United States
- 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.
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 below.