‘Pioneering' technology to be used on UK brain tumour patients in world-first
A 'pioneering' new scanner developed by scientists in Scotland could significantly improve treatment for patients with glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumour.
More than 3,000 new patients are diagnosed with glioblastoma in the UK each year, and half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis, even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 in funding from the Scottish Government to use field cycling imaging (FCI), a new technology derived from MRI, to track brain cancer spread by generating never-before-seen images.
FCI is a new and specialist type of low-field MRI scan pioneered in Aberdeen and has already been found to be effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients.
It is hoped it can now be used to help brain tumour patients.
MRI scanners were invented at the University of Aberdeen 50 years ago, but the new FCI scanner is the only one of its type used on patients anywhere in the world.
The FCI derives from MRI but can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible, and can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan – acting like multiple scanners and extracting more information about the tissues.
The new technology can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients.
The team of doctors and scientists involved will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy.
It is hoped the research will establish that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth and progression, and 'pseudo-progression' which looks like tumour but is not cancerous tissue, which could improve care and quality of life.
Professor Anne Kiltie, Friends of ANCHOR chair in clinical oncology at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the study, said: 'We already have evidence that FCI is effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in patients following a stroke.
'Applying this exciting new technology to glioblastoma patients could give us a much more accurate and detailed picture of what is going on in their brain.
'If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy.
'Also, being able to verify that a patient has pseudo-progression will prevent effective chemotherapy being stopped too early, because it was thought that the tumour has progressed, thus worsening prognosis.
'Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients.
'Importantly, having a reliable method to identify progressive disease will allow development and more precise evaluation of emerging potential treatments. This is of particular importance as patients currently have a limited choice of treatments for combating their cancer.
'Ultimately, this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond.'
Sarah-Jane Hogg, chief executive at Friends of ANCHOR, said it was a 'really promising development and another example of the pioneering work coming out of the University of Aberdeen'.
'Professor Kiltie's role at the University is fully funded by Friends of ANCHOR through our Dream Big appeal, and our thanks go to our donors and fundraisers for the part they've played in supporting this work.'
A spokesperson for The Brain Tumour Charity said: 'This pioneering technology is a promising step forward for people who have been diagnosed with the most aggressive type of brain tumour.
'It's positive news in contrast to the accounts we often hear about delays to diagnosis, limited treatment options, and the struggle to get vital innovations to the NHS front line.
'We welcome this, and The Brain Tumour Charity will continue working with clinicians and policymakers in Scotland – and the rest of the UK – to help bring advances to patients more quickly.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Sir Ian McGeechan: Cancer treatment has worked
Sir Ian McGeechan has given a positive update on his cancer diagnosis, saying 'the treatment has worked'. The British and Irish Lions legend revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in an interview with Telegraph Sport last month. The Scot, who was Lions head coach for four tours, said then that he had undergone six weeks of radiotherapy treatment, and would have to wait another six weeks to discover whether it had been successful. Speaking to fellow Telegraph columnist Will Greenwood during Sky Sports' coverage of the opening Lions game against Argentina, McGeechan revealed he had since received good news about the condition. Asked about his health, McGeechan answered: 'All good, thank you, the treatment has worked. Fine.' Host Alex Payne added: 'So glad to hear that Geech has had the all clear'. McGeechan is perhaps the ultimate Lions legend after his unparalleled career both as a player and coach. The 78-year-old was inundated with messages after his Telegraph interview, with the game of rugby uniting to wish him well. McGeechan has been coaching at Doncaster Knights as he maintains his illustrious career in the game, some 51 years after he first went on a Lions tour as a player in 1974, before being selected again in 1977. McGeechan was then head coach in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009, as well as coach of the midweek side in 2005. When revealing his cancer diagnosis, McGeechan said he hoped his honesty would inspire others to get tested. 'I don't want to make a big thing of it, but it is important to get the message out about urging people to get tested,' he said. 'I said that to our players here. I said to them that they make sure they get themselves tested. If you are younger, it is more important. 'Hopefully this interview can be educational. What I would say to people is don't back off it. It is a blood test, it is not what you always think. Just get it done. I have good people looking after me. It is the very good side of the NHS. The staff of the Bexley Cancer Wing at St James's Hospital in Leeds have been brilliant. 'When I had my last treatment, from the receptionist to the radiographer, they all said: 'Well done, good luck, have a happy time.' Everyone. They all knew. When they are looking up your details and you are going on to your next step, it says which number of treatment is it, and it is what they say to every person when they get to their last treatment, which I think is great. That support and the environment is so positive. What will be, will be.'
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Breast cancer survivors may have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, experts say
Could breast cancer survivors have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease South Korean researchers say breast cancer survivors have an 8 percent lower risk of developing the condition compared to people without cancer, despite commonly-held concerns about cognitive decline following treatment. 'We found a slightly lower risk of [Alzheimer's] among breast cancer survivors, in line with several previous studies and a meta-analysis,' the authors wrote in a study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open, the open-access journal of the American Medical Association. 'This suggests that standard breast cancer treatments, including radiation therapy, may not increase and may even reduce Alzheimer's dementia risk in the short term,' Seoul National University Dr. Su-Min Jeong, who led the study, told AuntMinnie. 'Clinicians can use this evidence to reassure breast cancer patients concerned about their cognitive health.' The researchers also found no association between the risk for Alzheimer's and treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. 'An increased risk of dementia in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy was noted. However, the risk of AD could differ, depending on the dose of radiation and site of exposure,' they explained. To reach these conclusions, they looked at the data from more than 70,000 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between the first day of January 2010 and the last day of December 2016. The data was collected by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Participants were grouped with healthy age-matched controls at a one-to-three ratio. The women underwent an average follow-up of 7.3 years. Among the participants, 1,229 cases of Alzheimer's were detected. Breast cancer survivors showed a slightly lower risk of developing Alzheimer's compared with cancer-free women. The trend was especially applicable to women aged 65-and-up. 'However, landmark analyses found that this lower risk did not persist beyond five years of survival. Cancer treatment with radiation therapy was associated with reduced risk of [Alzheimer's] among survivors,' they wrote. They say that further research is needed to assess the long-term risk of Alzheimer's disease in breast cancer survivors. Previous research from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh also found that hormone modulating therapy used for the treatment of breast cancer was associated with a 7 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias later in life, and that some women may be at a higher risk than others. The South Korean researchers noted that cytotoxic chemotherapy has been recognized as a cause of cognitive decline called chemobrain in cancer survivors, referring to thinking and memory issues after treatment. Researchers added that their findings suggest that this treatment does not directly lead to Alzheimer's disease.
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Midwife took laughing gas while working on high-risk ward
A Scottish NHS midwife has been suspended after she was caught taking laughing gas while caring for vulnerable pregnant women. Mariedh King was discovered consuming nitrous oxide — also known as 'hippy crack' — in an empty labour room whilst working on a ward for high-risk patients, a disciplinary hearing was told. She admitted to an internal investigation that she had done so multiple times over a two-month period. The midwife claimed that the drug's effects were always out of her system by the time she saw patients but could have caused a problem if there was an emergency. Laughing gas is the colloquial term for nitrous oxide which causes euphoria, uncontrolled laughter, and dizziness. In medical settings it is used for sedation and pain relief. A fitness to practise committee has found that King had put patients at risk by 'knowingly and intentionally' taking the drug. It said the only 'appropriate and proportionate' sanction was a nine-month suspension from the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. The professional tribunal heard that the midwife, who was based in Fife, qualified in 2000 and was working on a ward for high-risk pregnancy patients. In September 2021, King was found by the senior charge midwife in an empty labour room inhaling laughing gas that was intended for patients. After being discovered King went home. The incident was the only time she was found using the drug, but during the course of an internal investigation she admitted to doing it more than once. King told the tribunal the effects of laughing gas are 'very short-lasting' and were always out of her system by the time she attended patients. However, she accepted this could have been different if she had been called to an emergency whilst under the influence. During the hearing it was suggested that the midwife, who had an unblemished career, was experiencing personal struggles at the time of her misconduct but the details have been withheld. A panel found that King had 'knowingly and intentionally' stolen the nitrous oxide from her employer and put vulnerable patients at risk, which amounted to misconduct as well as impairing her fitness to practise. It said: 'The panel determined that Mrs King knowingly and intentionally stole, and used, nitrous oxide at her place of work. 'Mrs King knew that it was wrong to take the nitrous oxide which was for the use of patients only … was responsible for vulnerable patients under her care and the panel was of the view that Mrs King's actions jeopardised patient safety and put patients at a risk of harm. 'This was a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered midwife and amounted to misconduct.' The panel ruled that a striking-off order would be 'unduly punitive' but her drug-taking did warrant further action. King was suspended for nine months with a review hearing required before she can be admitted back onto the register, to ensure she has developed enough insight into her misconduct to practise safely again. 'Mrs King's misconduct arose more than once, albeit it was a single episode, in an otherwise unblemished career,' the panel said. 'It has found attitudinal issues related to Mrs King's dishonesty but it did not deem these to be deep-seated or personality related. There is no evidence of Mrs King repeating her misconduct. 'Whilst the panel acknowledges that a suspension may have a punitive effect, it would be unduly punitive in Mrs King's case to impose a striking off order. 'Balancing all of these factors the panel has concluded that a suspension order is theappropriate and proportionate sanction.'
