Our research

The most important prognostic factor for patients with melanoma and breast cancer is the metastatic status of lymph nodes which directly drain the primary tumour site. In this research, large imaging databases (including lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT) are being analysed and used to create powerful predictive and prognostic software tools, to provide decision support systems for both medical practitioners and patients.

The current standard of care for prostate cancer radiotherapy is to deliver a uniform dose of radiation to the prostate gland, however this can result in treatment side effects such as impotence and incontinence. We are working towards a paradigm shift in prostate radiotherapy termed Biologically Targeted RadioTherapy (BiRT), where a personalised non-uniform dose of radiation is given to each patient using information obtained from quantitative imaging (mpMRI and PET). This includes developing and testing mpMRI biomarkers via clinical trials to assess radiotherapy treatment response earlier than current PSA-based measures allow.

Lymphoedema is an incurable condition, characterised by chronic swelling in a region of the body which develops when fluid is unable to drain through the lymphatic system. It is often a side effect of cancer treatment, especially radiation therapy or surgery. To aid in the assessment of lymphoedema, we are developing a novel imaging device and image processing tools to improve the clinical assessment of disease severity and ultimately guide patient management.

The lymphatic system is a complex and critical component of the circulatory system which acts as a common route for cancer metastasis. In this project, we are developing multi-scale computational models of fluid flow through lymphatic vessels, to improve our understanding of normal function versus pathological function observed during cancer metastasis and lymphoedema.