Imaging test to show whether non-invasive breast tumor treatment has worked
Official title: A tissue viability imaging biomarker for use in non-invasive breast cancer therapy
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11251261 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is creating a non-contrast MRI tool powered by AI to quickly show if focused ultrasound has destroyed a localized breast tumor for people with early-stage breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | February 10, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $600,687 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA259686-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251261 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with localized, well-defined breast tumors who are eligible for MR-guided focused ultrasound ablation and can undergo MRI.
✕Less likely to help
People with widespread, metastatic, very large or diffuse tumors, or those who cannot have MRI or focused ultrasound, are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would get MR-guided focused ultrasound, a non-invasive way to heat and destroy a small breast tumor, while researchers collect advanced 3D MRI scans before, during, and after treatment. Those scans will be combined with a deep neural network to produce a non-contrast imaging biomarker that indicates tissue viability. The goal is to give immediate results so doctors can repeat treatment in the same session if any live tumor remains. This approach avoids gadolinium contrast and aims to make the whole procedure more precise and conservative.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors confirm tumor death during the same non-invasive session, reducing the need for repeat treatments and limiting overtreatment.
How similar studies have gone: MR-guided focused ultrasound has been used safely for localized breast tumors and MRI shows tissue changes, but a reliable non-contrast AI-based marker for immediate in-procedure viability is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Payne, Allison — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Payne, Allison
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding why DCIS becomes invasive breast cancer in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander groups
A research project aims to identify biological factors and risk patterns that predict when early-stage DCIS may progress to invasive breast cancer, with a focus on AANHPI populations.
-
A new imaging method to assess tissue health during breast cancer treatment
This study is testing a new way to check how well breast cancer treatments are working by using special MRI scans that don’t require any injections, helping doctors see if the tumor is responding to treatment and making sure patients get the best care possible.
-
Using advanced MRI techniques to improve breast cancer treatment.
This study is working on improving breast cancer treatment by using new MRI techniques that combine advanced technology and machine learning, so patients can get clearer images of how well their treatments are working, leading to better care and outcomes.
-
Investigating how a specific protein contributes to the progression of breast cancer
This study is looking at a protein called cyclin E and how its changes might lead to aggressive breast cancer, with the hope that understanding these early changes can help improve early detection and treatment options for patients.
-
Improving Breast Cancer Guideline Adherence in Nigeria
Aimed at helping doctors in Nigeria follow international guideline-based breast cancer care to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer.
-
Genomic study to understand how genetics and epigenetics shape triple-negative breast cancer in African ancestry
This study looks at how inherited genes and gene activity affect triple-negative breast cancer in people of African ancestry to better understand why outcomes can be worse.
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.