Grant from KWF for research on early detection of brain tumor progression

A consortium of researchers from LUMC, Erasmus MC, UMC Utrecht, and Amsterdam UMC recently received a grant of over €780,000 from KWF to investigate a new MRI technique (CEST MRI). This MRI technique will be used to detect tumor progression more quickly in patients undergoing treatment for a brain tumor (glioblastoma).

The lead researcher in this study is dr. ir. Esther Warnert (Erasmus MC, consortium member of Medical Delta Cancer Diagnostics 3.0), with Medical Delta Professor dr. Marion Smits (Erasmus MC) and Professor dr. ir. Matthias van Osch (LUMC, both scientific leaders of the Medical Delta Cancer Diagnostics 3.0 program) also involved in the research.

Preventing unnecessary surgeries

Accurate detection of tumor progression is vital for selecting patients for clinical trials of new treatment strategies. Early inclusion of patients after radiotherapy is required. To determine the effectiveness of new treatment strategies, it is necessary to distinguish between treatment effects and actual progression in this patient population. The research project will investigate multiple MRI scanners from different vendors to achieve consensus on the validated threshold.

Clinical value

An important clinical value of this project is that early detection of tumor progression can lead to better treatments, enabling clinicians to make more informed, timely treatment decisions. It also provides patients with earlier clarity.

Read more about this research project: Vroege detectie van tumorprogressie met APT CEST MRI | KWF Kankerbestrijding (NL)