Making breast MRI images more consistent for cancer detection

Harmonization of breast MRI data

NIH-funded research Duke University · NIH-11144420

This project helps make breast MRI images from different machines look the same, so doctors can better use them to find breast cancer and understand its features.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionDuke University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Durham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11144420 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

When you get a breast MRI, images can look different depending on the scanner and settings used, even for the same person. This makes it hard for doctors and researchers to compare images or use them to precisely measure things like tumor size or risk. This project is developing new ways to make these breast MRI images consistent, no matter where they were taken. By doing this, we hope to improve how accurately breast cancer is found, how outcomes are predicted, and how cancer risk is understood.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients who undergo breast MRI scans for cancer screening, diagnosis, or monitoring could potentially benefit from this research.

Not a fit: Patients not undergoing breast MRI scans would not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more accurate and reliable breast cancer diagnosis and better predictions for patient outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: While quantitative analysis of breast MRIs has shown promise, effective methods for harmonizing breast MRI data across different scanners are currently lacking.

Where this research is happening

Durham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer DetectionCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.