University of Michigan develops method that promises cancer therapy with 'pinpoint accuracy'

Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) have developed a novel technology that allows for the precise measurement of radiation doses during cancer treatments.

U-M researchers developed an innovative system utilizing 3-D imaging to detect and amplify sound waves generated when X-rays heat tissues in the body, a January news release from the university said. This is the first time that medical professionals have been able to map radiation doses in real time, providing new data to guide treatments. The technology promises to revolutionize cancer care by enabling doctors to direct radiation more accurately toward cancerous cells while minimizing exposure to adjacent tissues.

Current radiation therapy is limited by its imprecision, which often results in the destruction of healthy cells in the surrounding areas of the tumor, as well as an increased risk of developing new cancers. The new ionizing radiation acoustic imaging system developed at U-M uses ultrasonic transducers positioned on the patient’s side to detect the weak sound waves generated when X-rays are absorbed by tissues in the body. The signals are amplified and then transferred to an ultrasound device for image reconstruction. The technology is highly beneficial, especially when the target is adjacent to radiation-sensitive organs such as the small bowel or stomach.

Xueding Wang, U-M's Jonathan Rubin Collegiate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of radiology, explained that the body is essentially a "black box" during radiation therapy, making it difficult to know exactly where X-rays are hitting inside the body and how much radiation is being delivered to the intended target. Additionally, each body is different, so making predictions for both aspects is tricky. But with the new 3-D imaging technology, doctors can now more accurately direct the radiation toward cancerous cells and limit the exposure of adjacent tissues, allowing for safer and more effective treatments.

“In the future, we could use the imaging information to compensate for uncertainties that arise from positioning, organ motion and anatomical variation during radiation therapy,” said Wei Zhang, a research investigator in biomedical engineering and the study’s first author, according to the press release. “That would allow us to deliver the dose to the cancer tumor with pinpoint accuracy.” 

Kyle Cuneo, associate professor of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine, added that the technology would be especially beneficial in situations where the target is adjacent to radiation-sensitive organs such as the small bowel or the stomach. The technology is expected to be easily added to current radiation therapy equipment without drastically changing the processes that clinicians are used to. 

U-M has applied for patent protection and is seeking partners to help bring the technology to market. The research was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research. U-M's Optical Imaging Laboratory led the research team, which also included Issam El Naqa, adjunct professor of radiation oncology at the U-M Medical School, and partners at the Moffitt Cancer Center.