Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Focused Ultrasound-Enabled Blood-Based Liquid Biopsy (Sonobiopsy) For Brain Disease Diagnosis, Christopher Pham Pacia

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Brain cancer severely threatens human health due to its disruption of neurological function, poor prognosis, and substantial reduction in quality of life. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most devastating brain cancer; not only is it the most common malignant primary tumor in adults, but also it has a median survival of 14 months with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. Despite advances in multidisciplinary treatment that includes surgical resection, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, almost all patients experience tumor progression and nearly universal mortality within 2 years. However, advances in patient care have suggested that the accurate diagnosis of molecular …