Advanced ultrasound to detect vaginal changes after pelvic radiation
Official title: Clinical assessment of radiotherapy-induced vaginal toxicity with multiparametric ultrasound imaging
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11180281 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses 3D multiparametric ultrasound to measure vaginal tissue changes in women receiving intravaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $205,700 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA290252-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180281 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with endometrial cancer who are scheduled for postoperative intravaginal brachytherapy (IVRT) are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Women who are not receiving pelvic radiotherapy or whose vaginal symptoms are due to non-radiation causes may not benefit from this imaging approach.
What this research studies
You will have 3D ultrasound scans of the vaginal wall before and after intravaginal brachytherapy to look for radiation-related changes. The scans combine B-mode imaging, ultrasensitive microvessel imaging (UMI), shear-wave elastography (SWE), and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) to measure blood flow, stiffness, and tissue microstructure. The team will develop the imaging system and then test it in about fifteen endometrial cancer patients receiving IVRT to see whether ultrasound metrics link to standard clinical exams and symptoms. Imaging visits will be timed around your treatment so changes over time can be tracked.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide objective imaging measures of vaginal scarring and stiffness to detect problems earlier and help guide treatments that reduce pain and sexual dysfunction.
How similar studies have gone: Ultrasound elastography and microvessel imaging have shown promise in other tissues, but applying this exact multiparametric 3D approach to radiation-induced vaginal toxicity is largely novel and untested in large clinical trials.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burgess, Mark Thomas — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Burgess, Mark Thomas
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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.