Diffusion MRI for Head and Neck Cancer

Description

The proposed study is to investigate the feasibility of using quantitative diffusion MRI (dMRI) methods for accurate and comprehensive assessment of treatment response. dMRI is a powerful tool to probe treatment-induced change in tumors. It is a unique in vivo imaging technique sensitive to cellular microstructures at the scale of water diffusion length on the order of a few microns. Previous studies have shown that both diffusion coefficient D and diffusional kurtosis coefficient K are promising imaging markers of (i) cell viability which can be used for evaluation of early treatment response. However, it is often underappreciated that these dMRI metrics are not fixed constants, but rather functions of the diffusion time t, D(t) and K(t); their t-dependency is determined by tissue properties, such as cell size and membrane permeability of tissue. D(t) and K(t) of tumors can vary substantially depending on t in the range of diffusion times (30-100 ms) typically used in clinical scan.

Conditions

Head Cancer Neck

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The proposed study is to investigate the feasibility of using quantitative diffusion MRI (dMRI) methods for accurate and comprehensive assessment of treatment response. dMRI is a powerful tool to probe treatment-induced change in tumors. It is a unique in vivo imaging technique sensitive to cellular microstructures at the scale of water diffusion length on the order of a few microns. Previous studies have shown that both diffusion coefficient D and diffusional kurtosis coefficient K are promising imaging markers of (i) cell viability which can be used for evaluation of early treatment response. However, it is often underappreciated that these dMRI metrics are not fixed constants, but rather functions of the diffusion time t, D(t) and K(t); their t-dependency is determined by tissue properties, such as cell size and membrane permeability of tissue. D(t) and K(t) of tumors can vary substantially depending on t in the range of diffusion times (30-100 ms) typically used in clinical scan.

Assessment of the Role of Diffusion MRI Changes During Chemoradiation Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

Diffusion MRI for Head and Neck Cancer

Condition
Head Cancer Neck
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

New York

NYU Langone, New York, New York, United States, 10016

New York

Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States, 10065

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Treatment-naïve HNSCC patients with metastatic lymph nodes prior to surgery or chemoradiation therapy
  • * Age 18 or older
  • * Subjects without capacity to consent will not be enrolled.
  • * Subjects will be asked to verbalize understanding of the key elements, for non-English speaking patients, institutional translation services will be utilized.
  • * Treatment-naïve HNSCC patients with metastatic lymph nodes who will undergo standard-of-care chemoradiation therapy
  • * Age 18 or older
  • * Subjects without capacity to consent will not be enrolled.
  • * Subjects will be asked to verbalize understanding of the key elements, for non-English speaking patients, institutional translation services will be utilized.
  • * Subjects who have the following contraindications to MRI:
  • * Electrical implants such as cardiac pacemakers or perfusion pumps
  • * Ferromagnetic implants such as aneurysm clips, surgical clips, prostheses, artificial heart, valves with steel parts, metal fragments, shrapnel, bullets, tattoos near the eye, or steel implants
  • * History of seizures
  • * Patients with GFR \< 15 ml/min/1.73m2 or who are on dialysis will be excluded from the study.
  • * Subjects who are pregnant

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

NYU Langone Health,

Elcin Zan, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, NYU Langone

Study Record Dates

2026-04-30