03/05/2010

Volumetric image analysis for a better evaluation of therapy response

Definiens announced the launch of Definiens LymphExpert Version 2.0 at ECR 2010. The Software application assists radiology professionals in the identification, analysis and evaluation of lymph nodes in CT images over time.

Lymph nodes play a critical role in the assessment of cancer progression and the staging of therapy control The earlier the metastatic spread of cancer can be detected, the higher the chances are for successful treatment. Currently, RECIST 1.1 is the most established standard for evaluating patient responses to treatment. Under RECIST, the diameter of a tumor is measured to provide a two-dimensional representation.

However, tumors do not alwys expand or contract uniformly and changes in diameter do not necessarily provide a complete picture of tumor growth.
Definiens LymphExpert automatically segments lymph nodes and analyzes their properties according to RECIST and WHO criteria. Additionally, the software is able to reliably quantify the volume of lymph nodes and their volumetric changes over time, providing a more complete picture of node size and growth. Those information are essential in terms of detecting metastasizing cancer earlier and more readily evaluate the efficacy of treatment protocols.
Data can be imported from a wide variety of imaging acquisition devices, making it applicable to radiologists working in hospitals, cancer center, CRO´s, teleradiology service providers and academic institutions.