Marte Kåstad Høiskar
About
Ph.D. Candidate at the Department of Physics, NTNU, since November 2022 and part of the research group led by Prof. Kathrine Røe Redalen.
Competencies
Research
My research activity is within MR-guided radiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients. Parameters to characterize the tumour vascularture can be retrieved from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and diffusion-weighted (DW) MR images. The microvasculature of the tumour is connected to its aggressivness, and the DCE- and DW-MRI parameters can therefore be used as prognostic factors for the response to radiotherapy. In addition, the parameters can be used to determine radioresistant and radiosensitive subregions within the tumour which can be targeted and given a higher or lower radiation dose.
Further, proton therapy can deliver a more precise dose to the tumour volume compared to conventional photon therapy and may be better for treatment adaption based on MR parameters. Currently, planning proton treatment is time consuming. However, proton doseplans could be generated faster with the use of AI. In this project AI proton doseplans will be used. It is assumed that protons interact similarly with tissue as photons, and this is the basis for calculating the dose during protontherapy planning. However, studies show that this is not the case and more information regarding the interaction between protons and tissue is needed, especially normal tissue surrounding the tumour. MR-guided radiotherapy has the potential of individualising cancer treatment and thus improve patient outcome. My reserach will therefore include:
- Correlation study between MR parameters retrived with different pharmacokinetic models
- Correlation study between MR parameters and side effects experienced by HNC patients that have been treated with radiotherapy
- Recalculation of AI proton plans based on different biological models
- Adaption of AI proton plans at the interim timepoint based on MR parameters
- Animal study where MR images will be taken before and after radiation of normal tissue with either photons or protons
Publications
2024
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Høiskar, Marte Kåstad;
Sæther, Oddbjørn;
Alsaker, Mirjam Delange;
Redalen, Kathrine Røe;
Winter, Rene Mario.
(2024)
Quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in head and neck cancer: A systematic comparison of different modelling approaches.
Physics and imaging in radiation oncology (PIRO)
Academic article
2022
-
Garrido Hernandez, Guillermo;
Henjum, Helge;
Høiskar, Marte Kåstad;
Dahle, Tordis Johnsen;
Redalen, Kathrine;
Ytre-Hauge, Kristian Smeland.
(2022)
Hypoxia adapted relative biological effectiveness models for proton therapy: a simulation study.
Biomedical Engineering & Physics Express
Academic article
Journal publications
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Høiskar, Marte Kåstad;
Sæther, Oddbjørn;
Alsaker, Mirjam Delange;
Redalen, Kathrine Røe;
Winter, Rene Mario.
(2024)
Quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in head and neck cancer: A systematic comparison of different modelling approaches.
Physics and imaging in radiation oncology (PIRO)
Academic article
-
Garrido Hernandez, Guillermo;
Henjum, Helge;
Høiskar, Marte Kåstad;
Dahle, Tordis Johnsen;
Redalen, Kathrine;
Ytre-Hauge, Kristian Smeland.
(2022)
Hypoxia adapted relative biological effectiveness models for proton therapy: a simulation study.
Biomedical Engineering & Physics Express
Academic article