X-ray Dark-field Radiography - In-Vivo Diagnosis of Lung Cancer in Mice.
Accounting for about 1.5 million deaths annually, lung cancer is the prevailing cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mostly associated with long-term smoking effects. Numerous small-animal studies are performed currently in order to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop treatment strategies. Within this letter, we propose to exploit X-ray dark-field imaging as a novel diagnostic tool for the detection of lung cancer on projection radiographs. Here, we demonstrate in living mice bearing lung tumors, that X-ray dark-field radiography provides significantly improved lung tumor detection rates without increasing the number of false-positives, especially in the case of small and superimposed nodules, when compared to conventional absorption-based imaging. While this method still needs to be adapted to larger mammals and finally humans, the technique presented here can already serve as a valuable tool in evaluating novel lung cancer therapies, tested in mice and other small animal models.
Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany. kai.scherer@tum.de.
Kai
K
Scherer
Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany.|Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbH, 22335, Hamburg, Germany.
Andre
A
Yaroshenko
Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 81377 Munich, Germany.
Deniz Ali
DA
Bölükbas
Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany.
Lukas B
0000-0003-1097-9323
LB
Gromann
Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Katharina
K
Hellbach
Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Felix G
0000-0002-3201-1033
FG
Meinel
Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Margarita
M
Braunagel
Philips Research Laboratories, Philips Medical Systems, 22335, Hamburg, Germany.
Jens von
JV
Berg
Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 81377 Munich, Germany.
Oliver
O
Eickelberg
Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany.
Maximilian F
MF
Reiser
Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany.
Franz
F
Pfeiffer
Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 81377 Munich, Germany.
Silke
S
Meiners
Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik-Department & Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany.
Julia
J
Herzen
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods*; D014965:X-Rays