Better MRI scans to tell if breast cancer treatment is working
Official title: Multicenter Quantitative MRI Assessment of Breast Cancer Therapy Response
Funded at William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst · NIH-11085138 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a more detailed contrast MRI method to see early whether treatment is working for people with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Royal Oak, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2020 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $475,786 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA248192-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11085138 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with breast cancer who are scheduled to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and can undergo contrast-enhanced MRI.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those with contraindications to MRI or contrast (for example certain implants or severe kidney problems), or those with widespread metastatic disease may not benefit from this imaging approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you would have contrast-enhanced MRI scans before and during treatment that track how contrast and water move in and out of tumor tissue. The team will compare standard MRI analysis with a newer Shutter-Speed model that measures water exchange and a specific marker called τi that may reflect tumor metabolism. Early single-center work suggested the Shutter-Speed model and τi can better predict response to pre-surgery (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy. This multicenter effort will check whether those findings hold true across different hospitals so doctors can get earlier, more reliable information about treatment effect.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors know sooner whether a therapy is working so treatments can be tailored and ineffective therapies avoided.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier single-center studies at OHSU reported promising results for the Shutter-Speed model and its τi marker, but multicenter confirmation is still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst
Royal Oak, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Wei — William Beaumont Hospital Research Inst
- Study coordinator: Huang, Wei
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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.