Improved scans and blood tests to monitor advanced prostate cancer that has spread to bone
Clinical Qualification of Imaging and Fluid-Based Tumor Monitoring Biomarkers for Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer
This project combines automated bone scans and blood tests that catch tumor cells to better track how advanced prostate cancer responds to treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11118885 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, doctors will use an automated bone scan index and computerized lymph node measurements to quantify total tumor burden from imaging. They will also take blood samples to measure circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Researchers will combine the imaging and blood data into predictive models aimed at showing which treatments are working and forecasting survival. The work draws on data from large clinical trials and ongoing patient imaging and blood draws.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men with metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer, especially those with bone metastases who can provide blood samples and undergo bone scans and CT imaging, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Men without metastatic or castration‑resistant prostate cancer, people with other cancers, or anyone unable to undergo scans or blood draws are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors know sooner and more accurately whether a therapy is working so they can change or personalize treatment faster.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown that circulating tumor cells and automated bone-scan measures have prognostic value, but combining them into a single predictive model for treatment response is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwartz, Lawrence H — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Schwartz, Lawrence H
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.