Development and validation of a PCCT scanning protocol to manage kidney and prostate cancer patients with vertebral metastases. (PCCTMETASPINE)

About the project

About the Project Late stage kidney and prostate cancers are associated with bone metastases, which usually occur in the spine. These lesions may increase the risk of fracture in these patients but it is unclear when there is a need of intervening due to the complexity of the structure of the metastatic vertebrae. Moreover, treatments of the primary tumours may also affect the amount of bone there is in the vertebrae, even before metastases, and increase the risk of fracture. For example, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer patients is known to reduce bone mineral density and we have recently shown that ADT reduces the vertebral strength even before the appearance of metastatic lesions [1]. Recently, the development of CT scanners that use photon counting detectors (PCCT) is revolutionising the way CT imaging is done, thanks to their higher resolution and lower radiation dose. Therefore, PCCT has great potential in evaluating early changes in bone mineral density and microstructure that could lead to high risk of fracture. Nevertheless, considering the relatively new development of PCCT, there isn’t yet a standardised protocol for scanning the spine of cancer patients to identify bone lesions and bone changes induced by the tumour or the related treatments. This PhD project, linked to the METASTRA and SPIRO projects at the Insigneo institute of the University of Sheffield, aims at optimising PCCT scans of the spine of kidney and prostate cancer patients, and to compare the outcomes from CT and PCCT, to clarify the potential of PCCT in managing these patients. Moreover, depending on the candidate’s background and interests, the project will also explore the development of biomechanical assessment of vertebral strength using computational models based on CT [2,3] or PCCT. Proposed start date: 01 March 2027 or 01 October 2027 Entry Requirements: Candidates must have a first or upper second class honours degree or significant research experience. In addition, candidates must be self motivated, have the ability to think independently, use own initiative, have good communications skills and be well organised including good time management. Experience in biomechanics and/or image processing would be desirable but not essential. How to apply: Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply

Research areas