Leveraging precision imaging to advance oncology care

Non-invasive medical imaging has been instrumental in the field of oncology for decades. Advances in imaging allow for the early detection of cancers, leading to more effective treatments and higher survival rates. That said, global cancer rates continue to rise. Experts predict a 68 percent increase in cancer incidence since 2012 through 2030.^[1]

Precision imaging has evolved and continues to evolve, to meet the rising needs of oncology care—enabling clinicians to see cancers at early stages in fine detail and target tumors more precisely with fewer side effects. In recent years, significant advances in medical imaging technology have refined these techniques even further improving image quality and making non-invasive medical imaging more accessible and affordable overall. As a result, precision imaging is playing an increasingly important role in advancing oncology care.

From discovering a lesion to cancer diagnosis and treatment, medical imaging data, artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools, advanced clinical imaging applications, and imaging biomarkers all help inform a clinician’s approach to each patient’s care at every stage in their journey. With more precise and integrated care, medical imaging is impacting oncology care and clinical outcomes in areas such as lung, prostate, and breast cancers.

Employing precision imaging for effective oncology care

Medical imaging has evolved to be an integral aspect of the oncology care journey from detection and diagnosis to treatment and monitoring. Industry leaders such as GE Healthcare are committed to innovating imaging technology and image data analysis tools to advance oncology and the patient care experience.

“We know that cancer patients need the highest quality and most informative diagnostic imaging to guide their care," said Ben Newton, General Manager, GE Healthcare. "If we can give clinicians more accurate, tools to confirm a cancer diagnosis and speed up the delivery of radiation therapy or to evaluate if a change in treatment is needed after post-treatment imaging, the patient will benefit greatly.”

Medical image analysis has grown into a mature field with sophisticated imaging technologies such as:

• Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help detect and locate cancerous tumors.
• Molecular imaging technologies and hybrid imaging such as positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and PET/MRI allow clinicians to see cancerous lesions and the metabolic activity inside a tumor.
• Theranostics (an exciting, new field), has the potential to impact several clinical applications, including prostate cancer. Radiopharmaceuticals—used to locate disease within the body—are now being paired with treatments that can destroy tumor cells with minimal damage to surrounding tissues.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) can provide new ways to automatically quantify radiographic patterns in medical images. Using insights from imaging data, clinicians have the potential to more effectively delineate disease subtypes, define prognoses, and inform treatments in oncology with improved accuracy.

Imaging data is a key component of the clinical information used to enable precision diagnostics and therapeutics—leading to powerful techniques such as theranostics. With the latest innovative imaging technologies and imaging data analysis, clinicians can gain better insights into their patients’ care. Additionally, studying the biochemistry of tumors with molecular imaging can provide clinicians insights that enable them to tailor oncology treatments to the benefit of each patient.

Approaching treatment through a multi-modality imaging lens

Complex problems like the treatment of cancer require comprehensive solution sets that often involve multi-modality imaging for effective treatment planning and simulation. To achieve a total understanding of a patient’s condition down to the cellular level, the ideal scenario is a comprehensive treatment plan, with all parts working fluidly together to support clinicians as they seek out the best possible patient outcomes.

Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of most cancers. In an effort to deliver the highest amounts of radiation dose directly to the tumor, sparing healthy surrounding tissues, techniques such as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, image-guided radiotherapy, ablative radiotherapy, and intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques are often used.^[2] However, the success of these techniques is heavily reliant on accurate target delineation and treatment planning using multiple imaging modalities for planning, as well as treatment simulations.

CT simulation is a cornerstone of cancer radiotherapy, for example, but there are limitations, such as poor soft-tissue contrast between structures and partial volume effects.^[3] Using MRI and PET can overcome these limitations and provide clinicians with additional information. PET can also help to reduce the interobserver variation in the definition of tumor volume. The multi-modality approach targets the most appropriate and effective treatment for treating a patient’s tumor.

Screening early with radiology oncology tools impact patient outcomes

The goal of screening for cancer is to find the disease before symptoms develop. Early detection helps start treatment at a less advanced stage, hopefully leading to improved health outcomes. With non-invasive medical imaging techniques, clinically relevant cancer can be found and treated before metastasis occurs.

Treatments such as resection surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can result in improved survival. Current screening methodologies for the most prevalent cancer types include a blood test for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, mammography for breast imaging, and a low-dose CT screening for lung cancer. However, despite these screening guidelines, prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the US and the sixth most common cancer worldwide.^[4] Lung cancer screening successfully finds 80 percent of lung cancer at an early stage when it is more curable, but without screening, 70 percent of lung cancers are found at a later stage when there is little chance for a cure.^[5]

The broad range of medical imaging modalities available offers clinicians a myriad of options for screening tests and supplemental exams. For example, initial research suggests that prostate cancer identification with MRI may be a promising potential option in the future^.[6]

Clinicians are also working to better stratify patient breast cancer risk with a more personalized approach to screening that includes the patient’s health and family history, genetic information, previous screening results, and breast tissue density information. Insights from this aggregated data may result in a modified screening recommendation, such as ultrasound or MRI.

Streamlining the patient journey during breast cancer care

The global rate of breast cancer has grown substantially over the past decade. Female breast cancer has now surpassed lung cancer as the most diagnosed cancer in the world, with more than two million new cases identified each year.^[7] In tandem, mortality rates are also on the rise, with a significantly larger proportion of deaths occurring in women who live in developing countries.^[8] Unfortunately, the impact of this disease is only expected to grow over the next two decades.

Given the current landscape and future ahead, the importance of early detection cannot be overstated—and clinicians recognize the high cost of diagnosis and treatment delays. Studies show that, historically, the length of time between a patient’s abnormal mammogram and their first surgical consultation can average 26 days.^[9]  

Organizations like GE Healthcare are stepping in to help, designing new care pathway approaches and algorithms specifically for breast clinics. GE Healthcare’s “one-stop breast care clinic” solution aims to reduce the time between an abnormal screening mammogram and a confirmed cancer diagnosis. This highly coordinated, streamlined patient journey is a cultural shift in healthcare that places more urgency on a patient’s timely diagnosis and care.

Radiology and oncology clinical collaboration imperative for impactful cancer care

Whether in the “one-stop” model or the traditional model, clinical collaboration helps streamline the cancer care pathway and strengthen patient outcomes. A multi-disciplinary care team is essential in providing comprehensive, coordinated care for cancer patients to improve outcomes.

Acting as a consultative member of this team, the radiologist can share insights gleaned from medical imaging data relevant to the patient’s diagnosis, treatment planning, and overall care path. Innovations in medical imaging technology aim to support radiologists in their efforts. Digital image analysis using AI is providing new ways to automatically quantify radiographic patterns in medical images.

Each year, imaging quality improves, enabling more clinical insights, allowing radiologists to confidently provide valuable clinical decision-making support to the patient’s oncology care path.

 

Learn more about GE Healthcare’s Oncology Solutions.

 

 

DISCLAIMER

Not all products or features are available in all geographies. Check with your local GE Healthcare representative for availability in your country.

 

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