A Pilot Study of Diffusion MRI in the Assessment of Pancreatic Tumor Response

Patients with pancreatic cancer are treated with combinations of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, depending on the location of the cancer and other individual patient health factors. The goals of therapy are to reduce or eliminate the cancer cells, but without serious damage to normal cells. Investigators at The University of Michigan are conducting a research project, to see if treatment effects on an individual patient's cancer cells can be detected early by new imaging tests in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Patients with pancreatic cancer are treated with combinations of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, depending on the location of the cancer and other individual patient health factors. The goals of therapy are to reduce or eliminate the cancer cells, but without serious damage to normal cells.Each patient is unique in terms of the cancer type and location and its sensitivity to treatments. Investigators at The University of Michigan are conducting a research project to see if treatment effects on an individual patient's cancer cells can be detected early by new imaging tests in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Each patient is unique in terms of the cancer type and location and its sensitivity to treatments.