Specialized MRI scans can help radiologists speed up the process of determining the effectiveness of radiation treatments on cancer patients, according to researchers with Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers developed new assay—a volumetric functional MRI scan—that can determine within a month's time if chemotherapy is killing tumor cells before the tumor shows any signs of shrinking. "Our latest … scans could help people with aggressive cancers, and little time to spare on failed treatments, know as quickly as possible if their treatment is working and when they need to consider other treatment options," senior study investigator and radiologist Ihab Kamel, M.D., said, according to a statement. Announcement