“Virtual biopsy” may replace tissue biopsy in the future thanks to new technology

Cancer researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new advanced computing technique that uses regular medical scans to enable doctors to perform fewer, more accurate tumor biopsies.

This is an important step towards accurate tissue sampling to help cancer patients choose the best treatment. In the future, this technology can even replace clinical biopsies with “virtual biopsies”, avoiding invasive treatment of patients.

A study published in European Radiology found that combining computed tomography (CT) scans and ultrasound images could help doctors reduce the number of biopsies covered and fully sample tumor complexity. Guide is created.

Capturing patchwork of different types of cancer cells within a tumor (known as tumor heterogeneity) is because genetically different cells can respond differently to treatment. It is important to choose the best treatment.

Most cancer patients undergo one or several biopsies to confirm their diagnosis and plan treatment. However, because this is an invasive clinical procedure, it is urgent to reduce the number of biopsies taken and ensure that the biopsies accurately sample genetically distinct cells within the tumor, especially in patients with ovarian cancer. There is a need for.

High-grade serous ovarian (HGSO) cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer, is called a “silent killer” because early symptoms can be difficult to find. By the time cancer is diagnosed, it is often in the advanced stage and survival has not changed much over the last two decades.

But the problem is not just the delay in diagnosis. HGSO tumors tend to have high tumor heterogeneity, and patients with genetically different patches of cancer cells tend to be less responsive to treatment.

Professor Evis Sala of the Department of Radiology, co-leader of the CRUK Cambridge Center Advanced Cancer Imaging Program, is a radiologist and physicist who uses innovative computing technology to uncover tumor heterogeneity from standard medical images. He leads an interdisciplinary team of oncologists and computational scientists. The new study, led by Professor Sarah, targeted a small group of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who were scheduled to undergo an ultrasound-guided biopsy before starting chemotherapy.

In this study, patients first received a standard-treatment CT scan. CT scanners use x-rays and computing to create a 3D image of a tumor from multiple “slices” of images that pass through the body.

Researchers then use a process called radiomix to analyze and extract additional information from the data-rich images produced by CT scanners using powerful computing techniques to determine the different tumors. Areas and features were identified and mapped. The tumor map was then overlaid on the ultrasound image of the tumor and the combined image was used to guide the biopsy procedure.

By performing a targeted biopsy using this method, the researchers reported that the diversity of cancer cells in the tumor was successfully captured.

Dr Lucian Beer, co-lead author of the Department of Radiology and the CRUK Cambridge Center Ovarian Cancer Program, commented on the results: “Our study is a step towards non-invasively elucidating tumor heterogeneity using standard-treatment CT-based. Radiation tumor habitats for ultrasound-guided targeted biopsies.”

Paula Martin-Gonzalez, co-lead author of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and the CRUK Cambridge Center Ovarian Cancer Program, added: “We plan to apply this method to larger clinical studies.”

Professor Sarah said: “This study provides an important milestone for precise tissue sampling. We are truly pushing the boundaries of transforming cutting-edge research into routine clinical care.”

Fiona Barb, 56, is a science teacher living near Cambridge. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017 after visiting a doctor for abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and immediately underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Since March 2019, she has had no cancer and is now back to teaching three days a week.

“I was diagnosed late and was lucky to have surgery within four weeks of being diagnosed. Chemotherapy worked. I’m lucky to be around,” says Barve.

“When I first get a diagnosis of cancer, I feel like I’m on a conveyor belt. Every part of my journey is very stressful. This new and enhanced technology requires some steps. Patients are less sexual and patients are in their situation. It will reduce body and mind invasion and allow for more accurate diagnosis. This can only be seen as a positive advance. “