HOUSTON, May 6 (UPI) -- University of Houston scientists say they are developing technologies with origins in the automobile industry to aid in head and neck cancer therapies.
Associate Professor Ali Kamrani, a former auto industry researcher, and Lei Dong, an assistant professor at the University of Texas are developing predictive models of tumors that they said will hopefully increase the accuracy of radiation therapy.
"We aim to better understand tumor deformations using geometric and statistical models rather than repetitive CT scans," said Kamrani. "In this case, patients will undergo a minimum number of CT scans, and the radiation plans will be developed using the predictive models."
Traditional computed tomography sessions require a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images that, when combined, provide detailed three-dimensional images of many types of tissue.
Kamrani said reducing the number of CT scans will reduce a patient's risk to unwanted radiation.
Dong called Kamrani's idea of applying auto prototyping tools to tumor modeling "novel."
"It can help us solve the problem," he said. "There's a big workflow issue. If we do replanning every day and re-CT every day, that's lot of effort. We're thinking there is a better, smarter way."
