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The parameter imaging method is particularly suitable for the development of new therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostic methods. “Clinical data, including the imaging data, that achieve what they set out to achieve, highlight the potential of new therapies and point the way towards further targeted development,” Zinggrebe said. “The crux with newer drug substances used for treating cancer is that they have an excellent effect in some patient subgroups, but hardly any in others. This is mainly due to the drugs’ specific mechanism of action. Functional imaging provides information on whether a specific treatment scheme is effective or not at a relatively early stage. “This helps save valuable time, especially in cases where one drug proves ineffective and needs to be replaced by a different one,” Klör added. For example, a relatively new class of substances, known as angiogenesis inhibitors, does not directly kill the tumour cells. These drugs prevent the growth of new blood vessels, which tumours need in order to grow larger. Klör explains that functional imaging has the potential to detect the success or failure of cancer therapies involving angiogenesis inhibitors much earlier in the treatment process than slice images, which simply provide information about changes in tumour size. In fact, many hospitals, especially larger ones, are already using the innovative parameter imaging method for the differential diagnosis of CNS diseases, in the fields of oncology and rheumatology. “However, the application of such methods is not yet routine,” Zinggrebe added.
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