Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 Imaging of Metastatic Prostate Cancer

"Hyperpolarization" of low natural abundance species such as 13C, offers the potential of extracting metabolic information by real-time imaging of biochemical reactions within the body. In this project, the investigators focus on prostate cancer, specifically late-stage disease, as management of these patients would benefit from a new imaging method that enables improved therapy selection, planning and monitoring. For imaging the lactate distribution in bone-metastatic prostate cancer, 3D coverage of a large field-of-view is required in order to cover the vertebral column (the most common site of metastases). To enable this, the investigators have developed methods using a large-volume transmitter and multi-channel receiver system for 3-dimensional 13C metabolic imaging in these patients. The image resolution and encoding matrix were tailored to the required 3D coverage of the vertebral column. At the end of this study, the investigators will have the methodology, hardware and clinical-research workflow needed to evaluate 13C-lactate imaging as a new tool to help patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The investigators would be the first in the world to apply 13C metabolic MRI to bone metastases. Although the investigators propose to study patients who are starting a 6-month course of treatment with radium 223, in this project, this proof-of-concept study may also lead to a larger clinical trial at different points in the treatment pathway, such as prior to deciding between treatment with cytotoxic agents versus drugs that target the androgen axis such as abiraterone.