Watching the Lung Breathe
Workshop on Pulmonary Functional Imaging
New methods of functional imaging make it possible to precisely describe all parameters of lung function. So far, these advanced diagnostic technologies are available only at selected facilities such as university hospitals and research centers. Advantages of the new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of selected pulmonary diseases will be discussed at the 3rd International Workshop of Pulmonary Functional Imaging taking place from October 5-7 at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Conventional pulmonary diagnostics produces primarily static images and, thus, is restricted to morphological information. In contrast, functional imaging also provides information about the motility of the lung and respiratory tract, ventilation of the respiratory tract, gas exchange, blood perfusion of the lung, and blood pressure and blood flow in the pulmonary vessels. "Functional imaging is particularly useful in the diagnosis of diseases of the respiratory tracts or the pulmonary vessels that affect the distribution of ventilation or perfusion such as mucoviscidosis or pulmonary hypertension", says Professor Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, head of the Radiology Division at the DKFZ and organizer of the workshop.
Acute pulmonary failure in intensive care is among the most critical lung diseases with an extremely high mortality. This is another area where functional imaging helps to control a process called protective ventilation. "The more gentle and individually adjusted ventilation is undertaken, the higher are the patient’s chances of survival", says Kauczor. The relevance of this application is also reflected in the fact that the workshop is at the same time the annual conference of the focus funding program on "protective ventilation" of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The DFG is even funding two projects on this topic in Heidelberg. Besides the DFG, the workshop is supported by the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).
A special focus of the workshop is the topic of lung tumors. Functional imaging facilitates to precisely target lung lesions with instruments in order to take tissue samples or perform local radiotherapy (brachytherapy). In addition, it provides information about biological properties of the cancer, such as the extent of new vessel formation (angiogenesis) in the tumor. Images of the motility of lung lobes and lung tumors facilitated by the new imaging technologies are also a prerequisite for the further enhancement of precision radiotherapy. In the future, the therapy beam will be coordinated with the movements in order to maximally spare healthy surrounding tissue.
3rd International Workshop of Pulmonary Functional Imaging, in English, Heidelberg, October 5-7, Communication Center of the German Cancer Research Center.
Journalists are welcome.
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
