A patient-specific magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound system for breast cancer treatment

The National Cancer Institute awarded the University of Utah $625,791 on June 1, 2026, under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) to develop and validate a patient-specific magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound system for non-invasive breast cancer treatment.

The project constructs a next-generation breast MR-guided focused ultrasound system designed to deliver both thermally ablative and non-ablative treatment while maintaining diagnostic-quality MRI imaging. Work encompasses three specific aims: construction of a patient-specific system with signal-to-noise performance sufficient for high-accuracy MR temperature imaging and ablation monitoring; optimization and validation of a hyperthermia controller for breast cancer patients; and evaluation of the system through a treat-and-resect feasibility clinical trial testing both ablative and non-ablative treatment conditions. The research addresses the need for less invasive alternatives to surgery for early-stage breast cancer patients, where approximately 64 percent are diagnosed while disease remains localized to the breast.

Performance takes place in Emigration Canyon, Utah. The period of performance extends from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2031. The assistance type is a Project Grant.

Abstract

(PAYNE) breast cancer is the second most common cancer among american women, and most of these women (~64%) will be diagnosed at an early stage when the cancer is still localized to the breast. Surgery is often the treatment of choice for most early-stage breast cancer patients, as IT is typically a curative treatment option when combined with radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy as indicated by the tumor subtype. Treatment selection by the patient and clinical team encompasses many factors, including surgical side effects such as aesthetic outcomes and pain. There remains a need for more conservative, more efficacious, and less invasive breast cancer treatment options for early-stage breast cancer patients. This proposal seeks to address these issues through the development of a magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRGFUS) system that can non-invasively treat breast cancer through both thermally ablative and non-ablative techniques. This proposed system RE-envisions the potential of breast MRI and MRGFUS with the goal of achieving efficacious thermal ablation under diagnostic-quality MRI, while prioritizing the patient's experience and comfort. The goal of construction and validation of a patient-specific, next generation breast MRGFUS system will be achieved in three specific aims. Aim 1: construct a patient-specific next generation breast MRGFUS system that enables an individualized experience, with the required signal-to-noise ratio to support high accuracy and precision MR temperature imaging and MRGFUS thermal ablation treatment monitoring. Aim 2: optimize and validate a MRGFUS hyperthermia controller specifically for breast cancer patients. Aim 3: evaluate imaging and treatment of the new breast MRGFUS system in a treat and resect feasibility clinical trial where both ablative and non-ablative conditions will be evaluated. The successful achievement of the defined aims will result in a breast MRGFUS system that can deliver highly controlled ablative and non-ablative thermal exposures and has undergone the validation required for future phase II clinical trials.