Moffitt is part of an elite group of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Centers focusing on the development of early stage translational research models. The Center will employ a lung tumor analysis research application developed by Definiens to rapidly and accurately identify, segment and analyze lung tumors from CT and PET/CT fused images. The application will also allow the researchers to measure lung nodule volume, surface-to-volume, attenuation gradient at the edges, shape features, texture and homogeneity measures, as well as tracking tumors’ volumetric changes over time.
“At Moffitt, we are enthusiastic about deploying these cutting-edge tools to support our researchers with their critical work,” said Robert J. Gillies, Ph.D., Vice-Chair Radiology and Director of the Experimental Imaging Program at Moffitt. “We anticipate that the Definiens platform will streamline the analysis of hundreds, if not thousands, of CT and PET images. These numbers are necessary in order to develop more robust patient stratification models.”
Following the release of the pioneering Definiens LymphExpert application for the analysis of lymph nodes, Definiens is developing image analysis applications for a variety of cancer types, addressing lung and liver tumors as next steps. All Definiens medical imaging applications are built upon the company’s proprietary Definiens Cognition Network Technology, an image analysis technology that examines objects in relation to one another and emulates human cognitive processes to extract intelligence from images.
“We are excited to support Moffitt’s groundbreaking research into cancer therapies and personalized cancer care,” said Frank-P. Klein, Vice President, Medical Imaging at Definiens. “This project provides further confirmation that Definiens’ unique technology can address the most challenging image analysis tasks facing researchers for a variety of cancer types.”
As part of the research engagement, Moffitt scientists will also explore Definiens TissueMap and Definiens Developer for tissue-based image analysis. Definiens versatile portfolio spans clinical imaging and tissue imaging, supporting potential development of translational cancer research models.