MR-Guided Radiotherapy Demonstrates High Accuracy for Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery
By MedImaging International staff writers Posted on 04 Oct 2023 |

In the past, MR-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) has shown enhanced capabilities for visualizing soft tissue and the usefulness of online adaptive radiotherapy for treating malignancies in the abdomen, chest, and pelvis compared to CT-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). However, the application of MRgRT in treating intracranial cancers and especially in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) hasn't been extensively reported. Now, a new study has shown promising outcomes when using intracranial SRS for an MRgRT system.
The study, led by radiation oncology physicists at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables, FL, USA), demonstrated positive accuracy through an end-to-end hidden target test to quantify the imaging, planning, and delivery coincidence of an MR Linac system, ViewRay MRIdian. For their study, the team developed an in-house MR head phantom to simulate SRS procedures for brain tumors. Specifically, they simulated intracranial spherical targets, an irregularly shaped target, and a target abutting the brainstem. Their findings showed that the treatment could be delivered with up to 99% accuracy.
Following the successful demonstration of the ViewRay MRIdian's ability to deliver treatment within a 1 mm setup margin, this innovative technique is now being used to treat brain cancer patients at the Miami Cancer Institute. Using the onboard MR image guidance of the MR Linac system, the team has observed that a patient's tumor size could change during a short 3-fraction radiosurgery course. Remarkably, it is possible to visualize daily changes in tumor volume even during the short 3-fraction treatment period.
“This work enables the utilization of novel MR-guided radiotherapy technology for intracranial SRS, which has not been used with MR Linac systems,” said Nema Bassiri, Ph.D., radiation oncology physicist with Miami Cancer Institute. “In the future, we will see more studies that investigate the benefit of using MRIdian for stereotactic radiosurgery. This study will help advance the community by providing a blueprint to implement MR-guided SRS program for anyone who is interested in utilizing this treatment technique.”
“This research will help us better understand how these tumors change (including tumor progression), and the role of adaptive radiotherapy which adjusts the radiation to account for these changes to enable more precision,” said Kathryn Mittauer, Ph.D., lead physicist for the MR-guided radiation therapy program with Miami Cancer Institute. “In the field of radiation oncology, this is revolutionary as we assess the frequency of these anatomical changes and how this will inform us for even other radiation choices.”
Related Links:
Baptist Health South Florida
Latest MRI News
- PET/MRI Improves Diagnostic Accuracy for Prostate Cancer Patients
- Next Generation MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Ushers In Future of Incisionless Neurosurgery
- Two-Part MRI Scan Detects Prostate Cancer More Quickly without Compromising Diagnostic Quality
- World’s Most Powerful MRI Machine Images Living Brain with Unrivaled Clarity
- New Whole-Body Imaging Technology Makes It Possible to View Inflammation on MRI Scan
- Combining Prostate MRI with Blood Test Can Avoid Unnecessary Prostate Biopsies
- New Treatment Combines MRI and Ultrasound to Control Prostate Cancer without Serious Side Effects
- MRI Improves Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer
- Combined PET-MRI Scan Improves Treatment for Early Breast Cancer Patients
- 4D MRI Could Improve Clinical Assessment of Heart Blood Flow Abnormalities
- MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Prostate Cancer
- AI-Based MRI Tool Outperforms Current Brain Tumor Diagnosis Methods
- DW-MRI Lights up Small Ovarian Lesions like Light Bulbs
- Abbreviated Breast MRI Effective for High-Risk Screening without Compromising Diagnostic Accuracy
- New MRI Method Detects Alzheimer’s Earlier in People without Clinical Signs
- MRI Monitoring Reduces Mortality in Women at High Risk of BRCA1 Breast Cancer
Channels
Radiography
view channel
Novel Breast Imaging System Proves As Effective As Mammography
Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. It is projected that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime, and one in 42 women who turn 50... Read more
AI Assistance Improves Breast-Cancer Screening by Reducing False Positives
Radiologists typically detect one case of cancer for every 200 mammograms reviewed. However, these evaluations often result in false positives, leading to unnecessary patient recalls for additional testing,... Read moreMRI
view channel
PET/MRI Improves Diagnostic Accuracy for Prostate Cancer Patients
The Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) is a five-point scale to assess potential prostate cancer in MR images. PI-RADS category 3 which offers an unclear suggestion of clinically significant... Read more
Next Generation MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound Ushers In Future of Incisionless Neurosurgery
Essential tremor, often called familial, idiopathic, or benign tremor, leads to uncontrollable shaking that significantly affects a person’s life. When traditional medications do not alleviate symptoms,... Read more
Two-Part MRI Scan Detects Prostate Cancer More Quickly without Compromising Diagnostic Quality
Prostate cancer ranks as the most prevalent cancer among men. Over the last decade, the introduction of MRI scans has significantly transformed the diagnosis process, marking the most substantial advancement... Read moreUltrasound
view channel
Deep Learning Advances Super-Resolution Ultrasound Imaging
Ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) is an advanced imaging technique that offers high-resolution visualization of microvascular structures. It employs microbubbles, FDA-approved contrast agents, injected... Read more
Novel Ultrasound-Launched Targeted Nanoparticle Eliminates Biofilm and Bacterial Infection
Biofilms, formed by bacteria aggregating into dense communities for protection against harsh environmental conditions, are a significant contributor to various infectious diseases. Biofilms frequently... Read moreGeneral/Advanced Imaging
view channel
New AI Method Captures Uncertainty in Medical Images
In the field of biomedicine, segmentation is the process of annotating pixels from an important structure in medical images, such as organs or cells. Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are utilized to... Read more.jpg)
CT Coronary Angiography Reduces Need for Invasive Tests to Diagnose Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD), one of the leading causes of death worldwide, involves the narrowing of coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis, resulting in insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle.... Read more
Novel Blood Test Could Reduce Need for PET Imaging of Patients with Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a condition marked by cognitive decline and the presence of beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, poses diagnostic challenges. Amyloid positron emission... Read more.jpg)
CT-Based Deep Learning Algorithm Accurately Differentiates Benign From Malignant Vertebral Fractures
The rise in the aging population is expected to result in a corresponding increase in the prevalence of vertebral fractures which can cause back pain or neurologic compromise, leading to impaired function... Read moreImaging IT
view channel
New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible
Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Global AI in Medical Diagnostics Market to Be Driven by Demand for Image Recognition in Radiology
The global artificial intelligence (AI) in medical diagnostics market is expanding with early disease detection being one of its key applications and image recognition becoming a compelling consumer proposition... Read moreIndustry News
view channel
Bayer and Google Partner on New AI Product for Radiologists
Medical imaging data comprises around 90% of all healthcare data, and it is a highly complex and rich clinical data modality and serves as a vital tool for diagnosing patients. Each year, billions of medical... Read more