'Pioneering' new scanner could detect brain tumours in world-first

A "pioneering" new scanner derived from MRI technology could be used to track brain cancer spread and lead to improved treatment for patients, scientists have said.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 funding by the Scottish government to generate never-before-seen images of glioblastoma brain tumours.

It is hoped the technology will improve treatment and quality of life for patients by investigating a new way to scan the tumours.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour with more than 3,000 new patients in the UK diagnosed each year.

The University of Aberdeen said half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Field cycling imaging (FCI) is a new and specialist type of low-field MRI scan pioneered in Aberdeen and has already been found to be effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients.

It is hoped it can now be used to help brain tumour patients.

Full body MRI scanners were invented at the Scottish university 50 years ago, but the FCI scanner is the only one of its type used on patients anywhere in the world.

The FCI derives from MRI but can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields, which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible.

It can also vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan - acting like multiple scanners and extracting more information about the tissues.

The tech can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients.

Those involved in the project will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy.

It is hoped the research will establish that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth and progression, and "pseudo-progression" which looks like tumour but is not cancerous tissue, which could improve care and quality of life.

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The new tech was described as "another example of the pioneering work coming out of the University of Aberdeen", by the charity Friends of ANCHOR.

Professor Anne Kiltie, who is leading the study, said: "If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy.

"Also, being able to verify that a patient has pseudo-progression will prevent effective chemotherapy being stopped too early, because it was thought that the tumour has progressed, thus worsening prognosis.

"Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients.

"Importantly, having a reliable method to identify progressive disease will allow development and more precise evaluation of emerging potential treatments. This is of particular importance as patients currently have a limited choice of treatments for combating their cancer.

"Ultimately, this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond."