Current Research

The long-term goal of the group is to improve the clinical outcomes and response rates for patients by using advanced dosimetry calculations and developing patient-specific treatment plans with 90Y-microsphere radioembolization therapy. 

Our lab uses quantitative imaging (99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT, 90Y SPECT/CT, 90Y PET/CT) to perform advanced patient-specific dosimetry and compute voxel-level absorbed dose estimates to tumors and normal liver. 

We are conducting clinical trials and have several funded research grants in this area. We work as part of a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team that includes Interventional Radiologists (A.M.), Medical Oncologists (A.K.), and Nuclear Medicine Physicians (M.L.). 

Key Participants and Collaborators: 
Armeen Mahvash, MD; Ahmed Kaseb, MD; Marnix Lam, MD, PhD

Clinical Studies:

• NCT03896646: A prospective single-center clinical trial RAPY90D: Radioembolization for HCC Patients with Personalized Yttrium-90 Dosimetry for Curative Intent (PIs: A.M. and S.C.K.)
•  NCT04736121: A prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm clinical trial design to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 90Y resin microspheres for the treatment of unresectable HCC: the DOORwaY90 study (PIs: A.M. and S.C.K.)

Select References (see Publications for expanded list):

1. Mahvash A, et al. A prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm clinical trial design to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 90Y resin microspheres for the treatment of unresectable HCC: the DOORwaY90 (Duration Of Objective Response with arterial Ytrrium-90. BMC Gastroenterol 2022. DOI

2. Teyateeti A, et al. Disease control and failure patterns of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma following transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 microspheres and with/without sorafenib. World J Gastroenterol 2021. DOI

3. Levillain H, et al. International recommendations for personalized selective internal radiation therapy of primary and metastatic liver diseases with yttrium-90 resin microspheres. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021.  PubMed

4. Salem R, et al. Clinical and dosimetric considerations for Y90: recommendations from an international multidisciplinary working group. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019. PubMed

5. Kappadath SC, et al. Hepatocellular carcinoma tumor dose response following 90Y-radioembolization with glass microspheres using 90YSPECT/CT based voxel dosimetry. Int J Radiation Oncol Biol Phys 2018. DOI

6. Bastiaannet R, et al. The physics of radioembolization. EJNMMI Phys 2018. PMC DOI

7.  Balagopal A, et al. Characterization of 90Y-SPECT/CT self-calibration approaches on the quantification of voxel-level absorbed doses following 90Y-microsphere selective internal radiation therapy. Med Phys 2018.   PubMed DOI

8. Siman W, et al. Practical reconstruction protocol for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT. Med Phys 2016. DOI

Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) is a breast-specific nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses a small field-of-view dual-headed semiconductor-based gamma camera in a mammographic configuration specifically designed to obtain high resolution planar images of 99mTc-sestamibi uptake throughout the breast.

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations to develop novel acquisition and quantification techniques using existing clinical MBI technology to accurately measure absolute 99mTc-sestamibi uptake in tumors and normal breast tissue.
We are actively working with our breast radiologists to investigate the clinical role of quantitative MBI alongside standard of care imaging, with particular interest in using our quantitative measurements to aid in the early prediction of breast tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Key Participants and Collaborators: Benjamin P. Lopez, PhD; Beatriz Adrada, MD; Gaiane M. Rauch, MD, PhD

Select Publications (see Publications for expanded list):

• Lopez BP, et al. Monte Carlo-derived 99mTc uptake quantification
  with commercial planar MBI: Tumor and breast activity concentrations.
  Med Phys 0:0-0, 2023. DOI
• Lopez BP, et al. Monte Carlo-derived 99mTc uptake quantification
  with commercial planar MBI: Absolute tumor activity.
  Med Phys 0:1-13, 2022. DOI
• Lopez BP, et al. Functional tumor diameter measurement with
  Molecular Breast Imaging: Development and clinical application.
  Biomed Phys Eng Express 8:055026, 2022. DOI
• Lopez BP, et al. Monte Carlo simulation of pixelated CZTdetector
  with Geant4: validation of clinical molecular breast imaging system.
   Phys Med Biol 66:125009, 2021. DOI

We work towards improving data acquisition and processing of in vivo radiopharmaceutical uptake imaging to facilitate quantitative imaging. · Study of the effects of spatial resolution and system calibration on the quantitative accuracy of PET/CT and SPECT/CT. · Improve data analysis of planar imaging towards improved quantitation.

Key Participants and Collaborators: Benjamin P. Lopez, PhD; E. Courtney Henry, PhD

We work towards improving dosimetry calculation for radiopharmaceutical imaging and therapy.

• Investigate different approaches to dosimetry calculations and their clinical implications.
• Investigate mm-scale tumor dosimetry and model their clinical implications.

Key Participants and Collaborators: E. Courtney Henry, PhD; Benjamin P. Lopez, PhD; Brian Kelley