We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Molecular Imaging Technique Improves Endometriosis Diagnosis

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 08 Jun 2022
Print article
Image: 99mTc-maraciclatide planar imaging has the capacity to image the whole body (Photo courtesy of Serac Healthcare)
Image: 99mTc-maraciclatide planar imaging has the capacity to image the whole body (Photo courtesy of Serac Healthcare)

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory condition affecting women, associated with painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. It is believed to be due to tissue that resembles the lining of the womb sticking to areas outside the uterus, usually in the pelvis. However, diagnosing endometriosis often results in multiple visits to physicians, multiple scans and often surgery to confirm the diagnosis. As a result, there is a delay to get a diagnosis of endometriosis, mainly due to lack of non-invasive tests capable of detecting all endometriosis subtypes (ovarian, superficial, and deep disease). Now, a new research study is investigating whether a 20-minute imaging scan can detect the most common types of endometriosis, which currently require surgery to diagnose.

Endometriosis experts at the University of Oxford (Oxford, UK) have joined hands with Serac Healthcare Ltd. (London, UK) to investigate whether an experimental imaging marker (⁹⁹ᵐTc maraciclatide) that binds to areas of inflammation can be used in endometriosis to visualize the disease on a scan. The imaging marker has been used for detecting inflammation in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis in other research studies across the UK, EU and US. Maraciclatide is for investigational use only and is not approved by the FDA or UK and European regulatory authorities.

The potential strengths of the scan lie in the way the imaging marker binds to areas of inflammation, which may allow doctors to distinguish between new and old lesions and detect endometriosis in areas not easily seen during surgery such as the lung. The development of a 20-minute imaging test would reduce the need for repeated visits to doctors, for repeated investigations, and for invasive surgery to obtain a diagnosis. This would ultimately reduce the time taken to confirm or exclude endometriosis.

Initially, the study will involve women who are scheduled to have planned surgery for suspected endometriosis. Two to seven days before their operation, the participants will be invited for an imaging scan which will compare the suspected locations of disease detected on the scan and in surgery to confirm whether this imaging test could be an effective non-invasive method of detecting all endometriosis subtypes.

“There is an urgent unmet clinical need for a non-invasive marker to identify or rule out endometriosis as it is such a very common disease affecting more than 190 million women worldwide,” said Professor Christian Becker, Co-Director of the Endometriosis CaRe Centre in Oxford, who will lead the study.

“We are excited about the potential of ⁹⁹ᵐTc maraciclatide to diagnose endometriosis non-invasively and delighted to be working with the internationally renowned team at Oxford on this important first study,” said David Hail, CEO of Serac Healthcare.

Related Links:
University of Oxford 
Serac Healthcare Ltd. 

New
Gold Supplier
Electrode Solution and Skin Prep
Signaspray
Gold Supplier
Ultrasound System
FUTUS LE
X-Ray Generator
RF Series
New
Forensic Imaging System
EXERO-DR

Print article
Radcal

Channels

Radiography

view channel
Image: Intelligent NR provides high-quality diagnostic images containing significantly less grainy noise (Photo courtesy of Canon)

AI-Driven DR System Produces Higher Quality Images While Limiting Radiation Doses in Pediatric Patients

Ionizing radiation is a fundamental element in producing diagnostic X-rays, yet it's widely acknowledged for its cancer risk potential. Digital projection radiography, a vital imaging modality, accounts... Read more

MRI

view channel
Image: The researchers are using MRI-guided radiation therapy that pairs daily MRIs with radiation treatment (Photo courtesy of Sylvester)

AI Technique Automatically Traces Tumors in Large MRI Datasets to Guide Real-time Glioblastoma Treatment

Treating glioblastoma, a prevalent and aggressive brain cancer, involves the use of radiation therapy guided by CT imaging. While this method is effective in targeting radiation, it doesn't provide real-time... Read more

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new ultrasound patch can measure how full the bladder is (Photo courtesy of MIT)

Ultrasound Patch Designed to Monitor Bladder and Kidney Health Could Enable Earlier Cancer Diagnosis

Bladder dysfunction and related health issues affect millions worldwide. Monitoring bladder volume is crucial for assessing kidney health. Traditionally, this requires a visit to a medical facility and... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: A novel PET radiotracer facilitates early, noninvasive detection of IBD (Photo courtesy of Karmanos)

New PET Radiotracer Aids Early, Noninvasive Detection of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is an inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract affecting roughly seven million individuals globally.... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: Artificial intelligence predicts therapy responses for ovarian cancer (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI Model Combines Blood Test and CT Scan Analysis to Predict Therapy Responses in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Ovarian cancer annually impacts thousands of women, with many diagnoses occurring at advanced stages due to subtle early symptoms. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, which accounts for 70-80% of ovarian... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: Attendees can discover innovative products and technology in the RSNA 2023 Technical Exhibits (Photo courtesy of RSNA)

RSNA 2023 Technical Exhibits to Offer Innovations in AI, 3D Printing and More

The 109th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA, Oak Brook, IL, USA) to be held in Chicago, Nov. 26 to 30 is all set to offer a vast array of medical... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2023 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.