Bilgin Developing MRI Technology to Combat Colorectal Cancer

The medical journal Applied Radiology recently highlighted a team of University of Arizona researchers working to develop imaging technology that can combat the spread of colorectal cancer. Among the researchers on this team is Ali Bilgin, associate professor of ECE, biomedical engineering, medical imaging and the BIO5 Institute.

The research is being supported by a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, awarded to principal investigator Maria Altbach, professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Medical Imaging. Research funded by this grant seeks to enable development of novel magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, techniques methods to diagnose early spread of tumors as a consequence of colorectal cancer.

Since the liver commonly is affected when a patient has colorectal cancer, finding early spread of cancer to the liver is crucial for patient survival. With earlier detection of smaller tumors, patients and physicians have more options for treatments, including both surgical removal of tumors and non-surgical alternatives.