The article “Ultrasound-guided targeted biopsies of CT-based radiomic tumour habitats: technical development and initial experience in metastatic ovarian cancer”, co-authored by Professor Evis Sala, Dr Lucian Beer and Paul Martin-Gonzalez as well as other ICM members, published in European Radiology on 14 Dec 2020 has captured the attention of the national media.
To read the full press release on the CRUK Cambridge Centre website, click here.
Coverage for this article in the media:
The article highlights a new advanced computing technique using routine medical scans to enable doctors to take fewer, more accurate tumour biopsies. This is an important step towards precision tissue sampling for cancer patients to help select the best treatment. In future the technique could even replace clinical biopsies with ‘virtual biopsies’, sparing patients invasive procedures.
The research shows that combining computed tomography (CT) scans with ultrasound images creates a visual guide for doctors to ensure they sample the full complexity of a tumour with fewer targeted biopsies. Capturing the patchwork of different types of cancer cell within a tumour – known as tumour heterogeneity – is critical for selecting the best treatment because genetically-different cells may respond differently to treatment.
More information on this article can be found on the Advanced Cancer Imaging page, the Ovarian Cancer page and the Publications page.
