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SPECT with a Compton Camera for Thyroid Cancer Imaging

Award Number: R21CA264772
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/16/2021
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

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SPECT with a Compton Camera for Thyroid Cancer Imaging - SPECT with a Compton Camera for Thyroid Cancer Imaging ABSTRACT The thyroid gland is butterfly-shaped in the lower front of the neck, and secretes hormones for normal biological functions. The incidence of thyroid nodules increases with age, involving more than half of the population. Thyroid cancer is the most common type of endocrine-related cancer and the most common cancer in young women, with over 50K new cases per year in the United States. To detect and treat thyroid cancer, it is desired to characterize the nodule accurately. Currently, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT) are used with radioiodine scintigraphy to evaluate patients with thyroid cancer. The gamma camera for SPECT contains a mechanical collimator that greatly compromises dose efficiency and limits diagnostic sensitivity. Fortunately, the Compton camera is emerging as an ideal approach for mapping the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals inside the thyroid. It is because the Compton camera requires no mechanical collimation and in principle rejects no gamma ray photon. Hence, radiation dose will be reduced by orders of magnitude in screening and follow-up scans of patients. In this R21 project, we will design a high-efficiency and high-quality tomographic imaging system with a Compton camera dedicated to thyroid cancer imaging, and develop an associated software package for Compton scattering based SPECT imaging. The major innovation lies in the deep learning empowered image reconstruction and the Timepix3-based Compton camera for thyroid cancer imaging. The proposed techniques help reduce radiation dose dramatically, improve the imaging speed, and enhance image quality and diagnostic performance, having a great potential for clinical translation. The three specific aims are defined as follows: (1) a Monte Carlo simulator will be developed for gamma ray Compton data synthesis; (b) deep reconstruction algorithms will be developed for Compton camera based SPECT, and (c) a SPECT system will be designed in numerical simulation and phantom experiments for ultra-low-dose thyroid imaging. Upon the completion of this project, the simulation and reconstruction software tools should have been developed for tomographic imaging of the radiotracer distribution in the human thyroid, and a point of care (POC) SPECT system will have been designed with the Compton camera and experimentally verified for a superior diagnostic performance at an ultra-low dose. The synergy among the deep learning techniques and the cutting-edge Timepix3 camera will have been demonstrated for a follow-up R01 proposal.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL	220 PAWTUCKET ST STE 400	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	12/1/2025	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 450	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	7/15/2024	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2023	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 212	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	8/16/2023	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2022	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 415	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	1	9/16/2022	NEW	$407,750
2022	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 415	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	9/13/2022	NEW	-$407,750
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $407,750 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 415	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	9/16/2021	NEW	$407,750
														Subtotal = $407,750

Grand Total All Awards = $407,750

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SPECT with a Compton Camera for Thyroid Cancer Imaging

Award Number: R21CA264772

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/16/2021

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2025

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