Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma detection and treatment monitoring in vivo and in post-surgical human specimens using Harmonic Motion Imaging (HMI)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has one of the lowest prognosis due to non-specific symptoms leading to late diagnosis. The tumor is characterized by an unusually dense stroma limiting chemotherapeutic perfusion. Harmonic Motion Imaging (HMI) assesses tissue mechanical properties by inducing localized oscillation resulting from a periodic acoustic radiation force. The amplitude of the displacement is inversely related to the underlying tissue stiffness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of HMI in post-surgical human pancreatic cancer specimens to detect the tumor, and assess the tumor response to neoadjuvant treatments.