Tumour imaging technique promises cancer care boost

Published in Cancer Research, the work explored how magnetic resonance elastography was able to detect the level of collagen in different tumours in mice, and how this impacted the stiffness of the tissue. The non-invasive technique can be carried out on conventional MRI scanners. By establishing the architecture and density of cancerous growths, doctors should be better placed to deliver more targeted treatments suited to the composition of individual tumours.

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The initial studies found that collagen was a key factor for keeping breast and pancreatic cancers stiff and difficult to treat. Conversely, cancers arising from the nervous system, such as brain tumours, were lacking in collagen and were more receptive to some forms of treatment.

"Our research shows that this new type of scan can give valuable diagnostic information about breast and pancreatic tumours non-invasively by assessing their stiffness,” said study co-lead Dr Simon Robinson, team leader in Magnetic Resonance at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.