OREANDA-NEWS. Feedback plc (AIM: FDBK), the medical imaging software company, is pleased to announce that it has signed a research agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA, to investigate the potential future clinical application of Feedback's TexRAD texture analysis software on computed tomography (CT) image data of patients with kidney and adrenal cancer. This will be a retrospective study and the results will not be used to influence or guide the treatment regime for existing patients.

The research collaboration will be led by Prof. Haesun Choi (Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, MD Anderson Cancer Center). Prof. Choi is a world leading imaging expert and is renowned for developing the CT based "Choi criteria" for assessing response to anti-vascular therapy extensively used around the world in clinical, research and pharmaceutical drug trials.

Prof. Haesun Choi commented:

"Limitations of the size-based traditional response evaluation criteria in solid tumor have been well recognized, particularly, in those treated with the new molecularly targeted agents. More reliable user-friendly biomarkers that can reflect the tumor response and that can be used in risk-stratification are needed.  The tumors are known to be heterogeneous in their phenotypes and genotypes.  Analyzing the tumor heterogeneity on CT images may provide insights of tumors that may be useful in evaluating the tumor response. MD Anderson Cancer Center currently is exploring of the potential value of this new mean in kidney cancers."

Dr. Balaji Ganeshan, Chief Scientist & New Business Officer of the Company's subsidiaries TexRAD Ltd & Cambridge Computed Imaging Ltd commented:

"Prof. Haesun Choi is one of the top and highly recognized imaging experts based at the very prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center. For the last 25 years MD Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the USA's top two cancer centres receiving over 120,000 people last year for care, services and clinical trial. We are delighted that she will be leading the large comprehensive patient population study (around 400 patients with kidney and adrenal cancers) on CT to strengthen the evidence base of TexRAD as the leading tumour texture heterogeneity analysis software. The investigation in kidney and adrenal cancer patient risk-stratification and treatment response evaluation, will potentially lead to the established use of TexRAD in pharmaceutical drug trials and clinical management. Working with MD Anderson Cancer Center will significantly enhance our TexRAD research collaborator base and credibility with the addition of this key site in the USA."