Hyperpolarized 13C Pyruvate MRI for Treatment Response Assessment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

This phase II trial investigates whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hyperpolarized carbon-13 (13C) pyruvate can be useful for evaluating early treatment response in patients with pancreatic cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes (locally advanced) or spread to other places in the body (metastatic). Hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate is different from standard clinical MRI contrast (e.g. gadolinium) in that it provides information on how a tumor processes nutrients. MRI is used to see tumor uptake and breakdown of hyperpolarized carbon-13 pyruvate molecules, which can tell how the tumor processes nutrients. Hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate MRI may help in understanding how the tumor responds to the treatments patients may be receiving.