PICTURE project - Magnetic Resonance Elastography

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  PICTURE - Patient Information Combined for the Assessment of Specific Surgical Outcomes in Breast Cancer

• IRAS ID

  183792

• Contact name

  Ralph Sinkus

• Contact email

  ralph.sinkus@kcl.ac.uk

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is emerging as a relevant technique in clinical practice. MRE uses low frequency propagating mechanical shear waves (typically <100Hz) to assess the tissue’s biomechanical properties. Shear waves propagate more rapidly in stiffer tissue. If the waves are applied continuously, it becomes technically feasible to calculate the locally generated force and strain, and hence correctly calculate the local shear stiffness and shear viscosity of the material.
  The current project is part of the FP7 EU funded project PICTURE. Its aim is to provide guidance to the breast cancer surgeon prior to the intervention to optimize the cosmetic outcome of the surgical intervention. The prediction of the cosmetic outcome is based upon patient specific biomechanical data measured via MRE prior to the surgical intervention. We have – in the context of this project – developed a new MRE transducer which fits into a standard MR breast coil. This non-magnetic transducer is capable of transmitting mechanical vibrations in the 10-100Hz range bilaterally into the breast. Thereby, we will be able to perform MRE prior to surgery and 6 month after surgery in order to feed the numerical model with patient specific data. While the PICTURE project is focused entirely on the prediction of the cosmetic outcome of the surgical intervention, our data will additionally provide most valuable information about the biomechanical properties of the tumour itself. We will use these data to investigate whether they can serve to predict risk of metastasis 6 months after surgery of the primary tumour.

• REC name

  North East - York Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/NE/0207

• Date of REC Opinion

  9 Jul 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion