Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for the Monitoring of Response to Neoadjuvant Radiation Therapy in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcomas
This clinical trial studies whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used to help monitor for response to radiation therapy (RT) given before surgery (neoadjuvant) in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients. Standard ultrasound imaging is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echo patterns are shown on the screen of an ultrasound machine, forming a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. During CEUS an ultrasound is performed after a contrast agent that is made up of a collection of very small bubbles (about the size of red blood cells) is given through a vein. The contrast agent moves throughout the body and may help show abnormal areas inside the body more clearly. This may be an effective way to monitor response to neoadjuvant RT in STS patients.