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Cancer

UCLA Researchers Awarded $2 Million to Advance MRI-Guided Radiotherapy for Cancer Patients

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

UCLA researchers, led by Dr. Amar Kishan, professor and executive vice chair of radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, have been awarded a $2 million grant from ViewRay Systems, Inc. to support groundbreaking clinical trials in MRI-guided radiotherapy. This innovative technique combines real-time imaging with precision radiation delivery, aiming to improve cancer treatment outcomes while minimizing side effects. The funding will accelerate research and accelerate the development of MRI-guided radiotherapy, which has shown promise in reducing side effects and improving outcomes for patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Key Takeaways:

  • MRI-guided radiotherapy is an advanced form of external beam radiotherapy that utilizes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide radiation delivery, providing superior soft tissue imaging and contrast compared to traditional X-ray-based imaging.
  • The technique combines MRI with a modern linear accelerator to deliver intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), allowing for precise targeting and adaptation to patient anatomy in real-time.
  • Studies have shown that MRI-guided radiotherapy reduces side effects in patients with prostate cancer and other cancers, with results such as the MIRAGE trial demonstrating a dramatic reduction in side effects of prostate cancer SBRT compared to CT-guided radiotherapy.
  • UCLA researchers are currently conducting several clinical trials, including HEATWAVE, MASAMUNE, and HERA, focusing on prostate cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies, gynecological cancers, and sarcomas.
  • Challenges in radiation oncology, such as visualizing the target and normal organs, are particularly suited to be addressed by MRI-guided radiotherapy, which may improve treatment outcomes and post-treatment quality of life.

Statistics:

  • The grant awarded to UCLA is $2 million from ViewRay Systems, Inc. to support emerging clinical trials in MRI-guided radiotherapy.
  • MRI-guided radiotherapy has shown a dramatic reduction in side effects of prostate cancer SBRT in the MIRAGE trial.
  • UCLA researchers have led multiple important studies in the field of MRI-guided radiotherapy, including the MIRAGE trial, the SCIMITAR trial, and the SMART trial.
  • The technique has improved soft tissue contrast with an MRI compared to a CT, with the ability to track targets in real-time and perform adaptive radiotherapy.

Sources:

  • UCLA Health, https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/ucla-researchers-awarded-2-million-advance-mri-guided
  • ViewRay Systems, Inc., no publicly available source mentions the grant details explicitly

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