APS March Meeting 2018
Volume 63, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 5–9, 2018;
Los Angeles, California
Session V46: Physics in Medicine: Modeling, Imaging, and Treatment
2:30 PM–5:18 PM,
Thursday, March 8, 2018
LACC
Room: 506
Sponsoring
Unit:
GMED
Chair: Jeffrey Siewerdsen, Johns Hopkins Univ
Abstract ID: BAPS.2018.MAR.V46.1
Abstract: V46.00001 : Advances in Modeling, Imaging, and Treatment of Cancer
2:30 PM–2:54 PM
Abstract
Author:
Robert Jeraj
(University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Medical physics is intimately connected with medicine, and is progressing along a similar path. General trend of medicine, particularly oncology, towards personalized treatment gave rise to precision medicine, which addresses the highly complex nature of disease. In the past, little could be done to tackle this complexity, but the emergence of targeted therapies is bringing personalized therapies within reach. However, there are severe obstacles to overcome. For example, cancers evolve in time to become harder targets to treat. Understanding treatment resistance, and its development, often connected with the highly heterogeneous nature of the disease, is the key obstacle. Use of multi-modality imaging techniques such as molecular imaging is one of the solutions that medical physics can offer. Radiomics, where large amounts of useful data are extracted from a single medical scan, is turning into a promising emerging field. However, much more data are available from genomic and other tests, which need to be integrated into the picture as well. To analyze such large amounts of data, we must learn from "big-science" physics approaches. For example, when analyzing data to detect the Higgs boson, CERN physicists relied on a deep understanding of the underlying fundamental physics. Likewise, when we move to medicine, we have to better understand the underlying biological principles that drive observations. However, medical physicists cannot do this alone. To achieve this effectively, it's essential that physicists much more effectively partner with biologists and other scientists beyond current typical collaborative frameworks. In summary, in order for medical physics to remain at the forefront of scientific research, it will have to move beyond the current boundaries towards better addressing advanced disease, better integration of “big-science” physics approaches, better understanding of the biological basis of the disease, and better collaborations beyond current collaborative frameworks.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2018.MAR.V46.1