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Delivering a precise beam of cancer-killing radiation to a lung tumor is hampered by the movement of lung tissue during breathing. Oncologists know that if a tumor is not completely destroyed, the remaining cancerous cells can metastasize and form tumors in other tissues.

During a two-year project, researchers from three UCF colleges will use computed tomography and physiological data from 24 patients with non-small cell lung cancer to develop a patient-specific model that predicts tumor movement during a single breathing cycle.

Armed with advancements in medical simulation and modeling, an interdisciplinary research team at UCF is working with clinicians at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to improve the accuracy of lung cancer radiotherapy.

The project is funded with a $662,358 grant from the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program, a program that supports research on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of tobacco-related diseases. The research team also secured $331,179 in matching funds from the Florida High-Tech Corridor Industry Matching Program.

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