Florida cancer center to use Definiens lung tumor analysis product

The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Fla., will utilize Definiens technology in the analysis of lung cancer CT images for the purpose of developing more accurate prognosis and prediction models for response to specific lung cancer therapies.

Image features extracted with Definiens technology will be compared with disease outcomes, as well as gene expression data available through Total Cancer Care, Moffitt's approach to cancer that enables researchers and caregivers to identify the needs of a patient and their family during the patient's lifetime and for future generations, according to the Munich, Germany-based Definiens.

Moffitt will employ a lung tumor analysis research application developed by Definiens to identify, segment and analyze lung tumors from CT and PET/CT fused images, the company said. The application will also allow the researchers to measure lung nodule volume, surface-to-volume, attenuation gradient at the edges, shape features, texture and homogeneity measures, as well as tracking tumors' volumetric changes over time. 

Following the release of the Definiens LymphExpert application for the analysis of lymph nodes, Definiens is developing image analysis applications for a variety of cancer types, addressing lung and liver tumors as next steps. Definiens said its medical imaging applications are built upon its proprietary Definiens Cognition Network Technology, an image analysis technology that examines objects in relation to one another and emulates human cognitive processes to extract intelligence from images.

As part of the research engagement, Moffitt scientists will also use Definiens TissueMap and Definiens Developer for tissue-based image analysis.

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RSNA and several other industry societies have shared a new expert consensus document on the significant value of cardiac CT. Echo remains an effective first-line imaging option, the groups wrote, but CT can make a big impact as well. 

"Using AI for tasks like CAC detection can help shift medicine from a reactive approach to the proactive prevention of disease," one researcher said.

Former American Society of Echocardiography president and well-known cardiac ultrasound pioneer Roberto Lang, MD, died at the age of 73. He helped develop 3D echo technology that is now used by care teams on a daily basis.