'Pioneering' new brain tumour scanner trialled in world-first
19 June 2025, 12:45
A "pioneering" new scanner derived from MRI technology could be used to track brain cancer spread and lead to improved treatment for patients, researchers have said.
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Scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian have been awarded £350,000 of Scottish Government funding to generate never-before-seen images of glioblastoma brain tumours.
The technology is hoped to potentially improve treatment and quality of life for patients, by investigating a new way to scan glioblastoma brain tumours - the most common and aggressive type, with more than 3,000 new patients in the UK diagnosed each year.
Half of all patients die within 15 months of diagnosis even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Field cycling imaging (FCI) is a new and specialist type of low-field MRI scan pioneered in Aberdeen and has already been found to be effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in stroke patients.
It is hoped it can now be used to help brain tumour patients.
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MRI scanners were invented at the University of Aberdeen 50 years ago, but the new FCI scanner is the only one of its type used on patients anywhere in the world.
The FCI derives from MRI but can work at low and ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible, and can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient's scan - acting like multiple scanners and extracting more information about the tissues.
The new technology can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, which can be associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients.
The team of doctors and scientists involved will scan glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy after surgery and chemoradiotherapy.
It is hoped the research will establish that, unlike conventional MRI scans, FCI can tell the difference between tumour growth and progression, and "pseudo-progression" which looks like tumour but is not cancerous tissue, which could improve care and quality of life.
Professor Anne Kiltie, Friends of ANCHOR chair in clinical oncology at the University of Aberdeen, who is leading the study said: "We already have evidence that FCI is effective in detecting tumours in breast tissue and brain damage in patients following a stroke.
"Applying this exciting new technology to glioblastoma patients could give us a much more accurate and detailed picture of what is going on in their brain.
"If we can detect true tumour progression early, we can swap the patient to a potentially more beneficial type of chemotherapy.
"Also, being able to verify that a patient has pseudo-progression will prevent effective chemotherapy being stopped too early, because it was thought that the tumour has progressed, thus worsening prognosis.
"Providing certainty will also reduce anxiety for both patients and relatives and improve the quality of life of patients.
"Importantly, having a reliable method to identify progressive disease will allow development and more precise evaluation of emerging potential treatments. This is of particular importance as patients currently have a limited choice of treatments for combating their cancer.
"Ultimately, this study and related future work will improve quality, effectiveness and healthcare cost-effectiveness in the treatment of glioblastoma patients across Scotland and beyond."
Sarah-Jane Hogg, chief executive at Friends of ANCHOR, added: "This is a really promising development and another example of the pioneering work coming out of the University of Aberdeen.
"Professor Kiltie's role at the University is fully funded by Friends of ANCHOR through our Dream Big appeal, and our thanks go to our donors and fundraisers for the part they've played in supporting this work."
A spokesperson for The Brain Tumour Charity said: "This pioneering technology is a promising step forward for people who have been diagnosed with the most aggressive type of brain tumour.
"It's positive news in contrast to the accounts we often hear about delays to diagnosis, limited treatment options, and the struggle to get vital innovations to the NHS front line.
"We welcome this, and The Brain Tumour Charity will continue working with clinicians and policymakers in Scotland - and the rest of the UK - to help bring advances to patients more quickly."
