Harvard Catalyst Profiles

Radiotherapy (RT) is often used to treat liver cancers, but it can also expose the normal liver tissue surrounding the tumor to radiation. To minimize the risk of liver toxicity and ensure safe treatment plans, treatment planners consider the dose received by the normal liver and apply constraints on the maximum allowable dose. However, the current planning process does not take into account the fact that different parts of the liver have different sensitivities to radiation and can have varying effects on treatment outcomes. Previous research has shown that irradiating certain subregions of the liver, such as the portal vein, left lobe, and upper right lobe, can increase the risk of hepatobiliary toxicity, mortality, and local recurrence, respectively. We are looking for a medical student to join our team at Massachusetts General Hospital and help us investigate the impact of subregional liver effects in our patient cohort. The student will have the opportunity to learn and use state-of-the-art voxel-based imaging and statistical methods to analyze data from photon and advanced proton therapies and develop strategies to personalize treatments and improve outcomes of liver RT patients. This project will provide the student with valuable experience in applying imaging and statistical techniques to real-world medical data and will contribute to our understanding of how liver radiotherapy can be selectively optimized in the age of personalized cancer treatment.