Tuesday April 19, 2005 news@michigandaily.com SCIENCE 5A IVERSIFYING THE MRI predicts cancer treatmer By Philip Svabik Daily Staff Reporter People diagnosed with brain cancer may soon have access to more effective therapy options, thanks to an advanced MRI scan that can chart the success of a particular treatment early on in the course of therapy, a new University study suggests. Currently, once a patient is diagnosed with brain cancer, they enter into therapeu- tic treatment of either radiation therapy or chemotherapy for about six to seven weeks. Patients then must wait six to twelve weeks after the treatment period has ended to return for a follow up image that will prove if the treatment was effective or not. "If you didn't respond to the treatment, then you have gone through almost three months of ineffective intervention," said Brian Ross, a professor of radiology and bio- logical chemistry at the University and one of the study's 14 authors. "And now you are faced with the gloomy task of essentially deciding what you are going to select next in consultation with your physician," he added. However, Ross and his colleagues have found that by using a special MRI scan, called an MRI diffusion map, they can evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment at a mere three weeks into it - roughly 10 weeks earlier than if standard MRI imaging procedures were used. Diffusion MRI works by measuring the flow of the water surrounding the brain through the tumor, which helps measure the density of the tumor. The researchers found that if after three weeks there is no diffusion change compared to before treatment was initiated, then the current treatment method is unsuccessful. A more or less dense tumor after three weeks indicates effective treat- ment. The magnitude of the change in den- sity correlates to the treatment effectiveness, Ross said. Following the imaging from the MRI diffusion map, Ross said that physicians can then continue the current treatment if it appears to be successful, or he or she can immediately begin a new form of treatment if not. This time saved is critical to the treat- ment of brain cancer, which often has a very aggressive nature, Ross said. Not knowing if the treatment is working can cause much anxiety in a patient, he added. "It is a huge psychological issue by going through treatment for no reason. Is it work- ing? You have no idea," Ross said. Diffusion MRI has been used in other applications, such as looking at the brain tissue of stroke victims, but this University study is one of the first to focus on brain tumors and to utilize it for patients. Ross said that any hospital that already has an MRI could be set up to perform a dif- fusion map by just adding software. "Because it's a physical measurement, it is a quantitative measurement. That is another key aspect because you get a hard number out and that number is translatable and will be the same on any machine throughout the world," Ross said. Another contributor to the study, radia- it efficacy tion oncology Prof. Theodore Lawrence, believes that diffusion mapping can do more than simply predict early on if a given form of treatment will be effective. .'This test doesn't just tell who is or is not responding to the treatment, but it also shows the part of the tumor that is responding and it shows the parts that are not responding," Lawrence said. Lawrence said that knowing which parts of the tumor are affected and not affected by the treatment could allow doctors to spe- cifically target different parts of the tumor in different ways. One way this could be done would be by the use of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, a type of radiotherapy that can be focused on precise areas. Presently, the researchers are working to develop a model that will help estimate the cost effectiveness of using MRI diffusion mapping in conjunction with treatment for brain cancer. They also aim to conduct addi- tional trials of this study and to eventually apply their findings to other types of tumors, such as breast and throat cancer. MSA Continued from page 1A through litigation, data collection and lobbying. The HLRP would require one full-time attorney, whose salary would be funded by the student fee increase. Lewis said the HLRP would be able to monitor specific patterns of complaints in Ann Arbor. For example, if the HLRP found a group of tenants with a similar complaint about a realtor, it could file a class- action lawsuit. "Our office already does the day-to-day grunt work. We need someone to keep track of larger trends and watch the big picture," Lewis said. Levine explained that the housing attorney would be able to act on widespread campus problems, either by taking legal or legislative action. "MSA is committed to improving off-campus housing for all U of M students by providing increased legal landlord/tenant analysis within the Ann Arbor community," Levine said. In addition to the hope of implementing the HLRP, MSA recco- mended a fee increase for expansion of SLS to protect international students. Lewis explained that immigration law is a highly special- ized area, and that it is better if SLS can provide a specialist to stu- dents who are running into difficulty under immigration law. A report was released by the Institute of International Education late in 2004 that said for the first time in more than 30 years, the number of international students in the United States had dropped. The numbers at the University were lower than they have been in previous years, although the school was still among the highest for international student enrollment. In a past article in The Michigan Daily, Dr. Rodolfo Altamirano, Director of the International Center, attributed part of this decline to difficulty in maintaining legal immigration status in the United States following legislation introduced after the Sept. 1lth terrorist attacks, such as the fees and application procedures for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Levine said the rights of more than 4,000 international students are a major priority for MSA over the next year. "International students should not have to worry about challenges to their status in Ann Arbor," Levine said. Lewis said that there had been greater interest expressed to SLS for cases involving international law. Lewis said the international specialist would be able to save some students thousands of dollars in legal services. "We've been getting a lot of calls from students who have expressed a fairly urgent need for representation in cases concerning interna- tional law." Senapati said the current executive board and assembly feel that protecting students in the University community and improving the atmosphere are of the utmost importance. "These fee increases are our number one priority," Senapati said. MSA hopes to implement all these services by next semester. Harper will make a reccomendation to the Regents, who will eventually decide whether to approve the proposed increases. 'STUDENTS Continued from page 1A she stopped using Adderall, her motivation would decrease and it would be harder for her to study. "There was a time when I took so much that I was (awake) for two days, and then I ran out. I took my exam and did poorly because I was so tired," she said. "I thought then it was kind of a problem, and I sometimes worry, because it is really addictive. "But I never thought about getting help, because so many other people are doing it too. I don't feel abnor- mal." She said she feels Adderall is fairly widely accepted by the student body, and that even students who are pre- scribed the drug for medical purposes - such as her roommate, who provides her with Adderall. - rarely criticize users who don't have prescriptions. "They get why you want to take it, because they know it helps," she said. Although she has experienced numerous side effects from taking Adderall - like lack of sleep, irritability, headaches, loss of appetite and antisocial feelings - these effects are not enough to make her to stop using the drug. "What it does for me is worth it," she said, adding that she will most likely continue using Adderall throughout college. But for other students, such as Art and Design soph- omore Kara, Adderall's side effects outweigh the ben- efits. "I lost weight and was always wide awake. Taking the pills made it very hard for me to sleep, and I would often have to take more the next day to make up for the sleep I had lost," Kara said. Kara said that, although she felt more motivated, more creative and more responsive when taking Adderall, she eventually stopped taking it because she found the side effects too unpleasant. "I get more sleep now, and I don't freak out about things as much. I'm less critical of myself," she said, adding that her grades are about the same as they were before she quit. Unlike many other students, Kara said her Adderall use decreased when she came to college. "I really would only use them towards final times, whereas in high school I was taking them almost every day (of) my junior year," Kara said. "My friends always had prescriptions, and they would either share them or let me buy them from them. "Some people wouldn't even use their prescriptions - they would just sell all of their pills," she added. "I know one kid who didn't even work, and it was his sole income." Kara agreed that Adderall use seems widely accepted at the University. "My friends, at least, aren't very judgmental about drug use," she said. "I don't really think of it as cheating or anything. It's kind of sad, though, because I heard it may get taken off the market due to its misuse, which is unfortunate to the kids who really do need it." A recent study conducted by the University's Sub- stance Abuse Research Center and the Harvard School of Public Health reported that 7 percent of college students have used prescription stimulants - such as Ritalin, Dexedrine and Adderall - for nonmedical purposes. The study found that campuses with the highest rates of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants have competitive admissions criteria and high rates of binge drinking. Students with GPAs of a 3.0 or lower were two times more likely to engage in non-medical use than those earning a higher GPA, the study reported. RE . . 1OW .9 .. 8S Trash Codes for the City of Ann Arbor 1. Place refuse & recycling at curb by 7 am. on the weekly pickup day or the day before. Check online map for day. 2. Bag all refuse. All trash must be contained in plastic trash bags at the curb, up to 50poundslbag. Don't block dumpsters. - - - - - I . It . Don't CRAM for FINALS on an empty stomach... CALL THE DELIVERY BUTLER!