Kenneth Gilhuijs

UMC Utrecht

In short, Kenneth Gilhuijss' research entails the following: 

Prediction of Vertebral Collapse using Artificial Intelligence in Multiple Myeloma patients (PreVeCAIMM)

'Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a rare hematological malignancy with age-adjusted incidence of six per 100.000 per year in Europe and the USA. The most feared manifestation - in addition to anemia, renal dysfunction and hypercalcaemia - is extensive skeletal damage; Holes develop in the skeleton (osteolytic lesions) and bone decalcification lead to vertebral collapses.

No methods are currently available to predict at which vertebral levels such collapses will occur in individual patients with sufficiently high specificity. If such methods are available, they could serve to triage patients to preventive interventions at the earliest sign of spinal weakening, preferably before vertebral collapses occur.

The aim of this project is to make patient-specific vertebral-level oriented predictions of an imminent and clinically significant Vertebral Collapse Fracture (VCF). For this purpose, we pursue Artificial Intelligence to integrate baseline and follow-up CT scans and clinicopathological features. We expect that this will reduce the risk of (further) vertebral collapse, thus improving the quality of life and survival of MM patients.

PreVeCAIMM is a collaboration between the Image Sciences Institute, the departments of Hematology, Radiology, and Orthopedic surgery of the University Medical Center Utrecht.'