IVIM-DWI for Rectal Cancer RT Treatment Planning v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-weighted Imaging for Rectal Cancer Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning
IRAS ID
369343
Contact name
Cameron Robertson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging can be used during radiation therapy treatment planning for patients with rectal cancer, allowing the tumour to be accurately targeted whilst minimising dose to healthy tissues. A specific, specialised type of MR scan, called Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted Imagine (IVIM-DWI) may be capable of obtaining additional information about the rectal cancer, such as the regions which are more or less resistant to radiation. This information could be valuable for identifying patients who would benefit for more intense or targeted radiotherapy, as well as for planning their treatment. Previous research has determined a correlation between IVIM-DWI scans and rectal cancer patient outcomes, supporting this hypothesis. However, these previous studies have not evaluated whether the image calculation is consistent; IVIM-DWI image acquisition is extremely complex and dependent on patient motion and setup.
The purpose of this study is investigate the feasibility of repeatable IVIM-DWI scanning as part of the treatment planning pathway for rectal cancer radiotherapy. Participants will receive two IVIM-DWI scans and consistency of the tumour imaging data will be evaluated. This will provide information regarding the reliability of the optimised scanning protocol. The results of this study may be used to inform the design of future studies or trials involving a direct intervention, based upon the results of the IVIM-DWI images.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
26/ES/0045
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jun 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion