Monitoring Salivary Gland Injury in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients After Radiotherapy Using Multi-Modal Radiomics

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the role of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging and magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) techniques in monitoring salivary gland injury in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients undergoing radiotherapy. The study will recruit patients diagnosed with NPC who are receiving standard radiotherapy, and quantitative imaging data will be collected using IVIM and MRF techniques at multiple time points, including pre-treatment, during radiotherapy, and post-treatment. The primary objective is to analyze changes in salivary gland structure and function and to identify early imaging biomarkers indicative of radiation-induced injury. The findings are expected to provide new insights into the dynamic progression of salivary gland damage, establish predictive models for the risk of xerostomia, and guide the development of personalized therapeutic strategies to mitigate long-term complications.