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West Virginia University School of Medicine
“ This system is designed for estimating the edges of the tumor as accurately as possible ,” Raylman said . “ The more accurately you can assess the size , shape , and spread of the tumor , the more accurately — and , hopefully , effectively — you can plan either surgery or radiation therapy .”
He and his team recently tested their system by using it to produce highly detailed images of simulated head and neck cancers . Now they ’ re seeking regulatory approval to test its performance on 40 cancer patients .
The prototype was made possible by funding from the National Cancer Institute , which awarded the project $ 1.9 million over five years .
WVU Researcher Prototypes New Equipment to Improve Head and Neck Cancer Treatment
Head and neck cancer may not be as common as breast or prostate cancer , but it ’ s one of the most challenging to treat . Its five-year survival rate can be as low as 25 %, while its recurrence rate can be as high as 43 %.
West Virginia University ( WVU ) researcher Raymond Raylman has developed a new technology to improve the treatment of head and neck cancers . The scanner that he and his team prototyped — which combines positron emission tomography ( PET ) and X-ray computed tomography ( CT )— showed promising results in recent preclinical testing of its performance . In the future , the scanner may lead to equally promising results in clinical testing .
“ What makes this system unique is that it has much higher resolution than the standard PET / CT system ,” said Raylman , vice chair of research for the Department of Radiology and a member of the WVU Cancer Institute . “ That ’ s because it ’ s designed specifically for head and neck cancer imaging . The typical scanner systems are general . They ’ re designed to image brain tumors , breast tumors , and prostate cancer . Instead of doing that , we decided to design one just for head and neck cancer .”
One reason head and neck cancers tend to be so hard to treat is their size . By the time the typical patient receives a diagnosis , “ the tumor can often be centimeters in diameter ,” Raylman said .
In addition , as physicians plan and execute tumor treatment , they have to avoid sensitive areas nearby , like glands and muscles .
It ’ s also the result of a collaboration between Raylman and his colleagues in the WVU School of Medicine , advanced manufacturing experts from the Benjamin M . Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources ’ Lane Innovation Hub , and Xoran Technologies , a manufacturer of X-ray CT scanners .
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) of the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) under Award Number 1R01 CA248492 . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NCI or NIH .
Image : WVU Photo / Davidson Chan . Raymond Raylman , professor and vice chair of research , Department of Radiology , WVU School of Medicine ; member , WVU Cancer Institute .
WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute Plans Expansion of Fresh Tissue Training Lab
Since it was established in 2018 , the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute Fresh Tissue Training Program has provided opportunities for surgical residents and military medics to train for procedures and hone their skills . Due to its success and the high demand , the program is planning a $ 2.2 million renovation and expansion of its facilities with funding provided by WVU Medicine .
The program ’ s innovative training model uses fresh cadavers provided by the WVU Human Gift Registry and connected to perfusion machines , which pump simulated blood through the body to create lifelike trauma and surgical scenarios . The groundbreaking program , one of four in the nation , is a collaborative effort between the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute and the WVU School of Medicine .
The program currently operates out of a 500-square-foot space with one operating table located in the autopsy suite at the WVU
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