2023-06-09 10:24:34
Every year, approximately 1,400 people in the Netherlands are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour. The treatment options vary, but a definitive cure is unfortunately not possible. The available treatments depend on the type of tumor and are aimed at long-term inhibition or stopping of tumor growth with a good quality of life. A brain tumor therefore entails a lot of suffering. Not only is the chance of survival low, the treatment is often accompanied by major brain surgery.
Risky
As if that were not enough, the exact diagnosis – and therefore the most appropriate treatment – can currently only be determined with certainty from the tumor tissue. This means that the exact diagnosis can only be made after the operation, or that an operation is even performed only before the diagnosis: the procedure in which a tissue biopsy must be taken. For this purpose, a hole is made in the skull under anesthesia, through which a tissue biopsy can be taken. This procedure is not without risks, from headaches to paralysis, and in rare cases can lead to life-threatening complications.
Optimal technique
Professor of radiology Marion Smits (Erasmus MC) wants to make the traditional tissue biopsy for brain tumors superfluous and is therefore researching methods for making a faster and better diagnosis of brain tumors using radiological images. Her pioneering work should lead to a faster focus on the appropriate treatment, a reduction in healthcare costs and, above all, a greater quality of life for those involved.
Marion Smits: “As long as it is necessary to take a biopsy to make the correct diagnosis, we are not there yet with radiology. This is a great opportunity to take our role as a diagnostics doctor to the next level.”
Future vision
A diagnosis process based solely on radiological images should bring improvement and hope for the future in several ways. On the one hand, this can ensure that affected patients do not have to undergo surgery unnecessarily, just to make the diagnosis. On the other hand, patients can be informed faster and better about the type of tumor in their brain, so that they can make decisions about their own treatment in the light of their prognosis and the risks of treatment.
Appropriate care
Professor Smits does not conduct her research alone. To this end, she collaborates with various Dutch research institutions within the Medical Delta research network, where cutting-edge innovation is being worked on at the interface of medicine and technology. Together with researchers and doctors from TU Delft and LUMC, she combines standard MRI scans and new radiological techniques – such as using a 7 Tesla MRI for greater resolution – and applies machine learning to the acquired images. The intention is that genetic and molecular characteristics of the tumor – which can currently only be determined via a tissue biopsy – can be derived from the radiological images.
Marion Smits: “Using machine learning techniques, we can include much more information from the MRI scan in our assessment. This makes such diagnoses much more objective. This forms the basis for important decisions that should lead to the best treatment for each individual patient.”
Marion Smits received the prestigious Vici grant earlier this year to support her research. She expects the first clinical applications in five years.
Brain Tumors
Brain tumors are often difficult to treat because of their location. Surgery can be risky and medicines cannot always reach the tumor easily. In addition, the survival rate depends on the type of tumor, but is not necessarily high for primary brain tumors (gliomas). More than 80 percent of people with low-grade glioma are still alive two years after diagnosis, while this is about half among patients with high-grade disease. Glioblastoma, the most common type, has the worst prognosis with a 2-year survival of less than 20 percent.
By: National Care Guide
Image: Marion Smits
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