# Validation and translation of a non-invasive, MR-guided breast cancer therapy

> **NIH NIH R37** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2024 · $506,060

## Abstract

The treatment of early stage, localized breast cancer has evolved over several decades from highly invasive
techniques to minimally invasive, breast-conserving therapies. Our breast-specific magnetic resonance-guided
focused ultrasound system non-invasively delivers focused energy deep inside the body under high-resolution
image guidance. The technical advances we have made poise MRgFUS as a nearly ready non-invasive
ablation treatment for localized breast disease. We have developed a rapid, treatment planning package to
predict ultrasound beam placement and assess potential beam aberration, a hybrid MR thermometry method
to monitor temperature in both fat and aqueous based tissues and validated a novel MRI-registered whole
mount histology technique that compares MRI metrics to histopathological analysis. This R37 2-year extension
proposal will continue this work between experienced academic investigators at the University of Utah and
industry investigators at Image Guided Therapy. This extension will finish and extend this important work,
integrating each component into ThermoGuideTM, a clinic-ready focused ultrasound software control
environment. Specifically, we will: 1) Use the rapid treatment planning technique to evaluate the necessity for
phase aberration correction techniques in breast MRgFUS, 2) validate the accuracy and precision of our
hybrid, breast-focused volumetric MR thermometry method, 3) apply our novel MRI-registered whole mount
histology technique that compares MRI metrics to histopathological analysis to immunohistochemistry data and
4) evaluate the entire protocol in a feasibility treat-and-resect clinical trial targeting unifocal invasive breast
cancer tumors. This R37 extension application will complete the validation and translation of the breast
MRgFUS System in this proposal, providing an exciting new image-guided non-invasive treatment option for
breast cancer patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10855746
- **Project number:** 5R37CA224141-07
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Allison Payne
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $506,060
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-02-01 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10855746

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10855746, Validation and translation of a non-invasive, MR-guided breast cancer therapy (5R37CA224141-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10855746. Licensed CC0.

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