High Frequency Ultrasound Backscatter Analysis for the Detection of Early Tumour Response to Radiotherapy and a Novel Anti-vascular Treatment

• Main Author: Lee, Justin
• Other Authors: Czarnota, Gregory J.
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: ULTRASOUND; CANCER; MEDICAL
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/25778

There is a need for cancer imaging to provide “real-time” information about the cellular responses of tumours in contrast to standard evaluations of tumour size. Quantitative ultrasound techniques have recently been demonstrated to be a potential method of assessing tumour response at the cellular level through the analysis of radiofrequency backscatter data. In this thesis, prostate cancer xenografts were evaluated in vivo using high-frequency ultrasound analysis techniques to assess tumour response. The anti-cancer treatments consisted of radiotherapy and also a novel anti-vascular therapy utilizing encapsulated microbubble agents in the presence of ultrasound. Quantitative ultrasound results demonstrated a statistically significant change in backscatter parameters in tumours treated with high doses of radiotherapy or a high concentration of microbubbles during treatments. Histopathological assessment demonstrated that tumour cell death due to apoptosis and necrosis correlated with increases in ultrasound parameters.