The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Siemens Healthineers recently announced the collaborative development of a global education program focused on enabling the implementation of consistent, high-quality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in radiation oncology. The program will provide courses for both clinical and administrative groups, with the aim of facilitating safe adoption and broader clinical implementation of MRI to improve outcomes for patients.
Strategic Alliance
Caroline Chung, MD
The effort is part of a strategic alliance, established in 2019, which strives to advance the integration of quantitative imaging across the patient journey and strengthen coordination of consistent imaging to guide cancer therapy.
MD Anderson and Siemens Healthineers are also collaborating to develop standardized MRI protocols that will improve quantitative response assessment. The teams also are working to establish remote monitoring operations that will enable greater reach of advanced imaging studies at remote locations while maintaining consistent, high-quality image acquisition across all sites.
“Magnetic resonance holds great potential for characterizing tumors and tissues for personalized cancer treatment, including biological targeting for radiotherapy. However, a key step toward implementing precision medicine for every patient is ensuring consistent, quantitative measurement to meaningfully guide treatment decisions,” said Caroline Chung, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Diagnostic Radiology, as well as the new Vice President and Chief Data Officer at MD Anderson (see page 67). “Through our alliance with Siemens Healthineers, we aim to promote and support standardization across fields and disseminate knowledge with a portfolio of evidence-based materials and courses to improve the quality of imaging and resulting care delivery across institutions.”
Disclosure: Dr. Chung is a member of the scientific advisory board for Siemens.
