diff --git a/apps/backend/app/routers/reports.py b/apps/backend/app/routers/reports.py
index 5b80ab8e..84be1104 100644
--- a/apps/backend/app/routers/reports.py
+++ b/apps/backend/app/routers/reports.py
@@ -18,6 +18,19 @@
 # create the uploads directory if it doesn't exist
 os.makedirs("uploads", exist_ok=True)
 
+
+def parse_modality(modality: Optional[str]) -> ModalityTypeValues:
+    if not modality:
+        return ModalityTypeValues.ASL
+
+    try:
+        return ModalityTypeValues(modality)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
+            detail=f"Unsupported modality: {modality}"
+        ) from exc
+
 @report_router.post("/process/bids", response_model=dict, status_code=status.HTTP_200_OK)
 async def get_report_bids(
         modality: Optional[str] = Form(None),
@@ -29,7 +42,7 @@ async def get_report_bids(
     Receives form data and two files: a NIfTI file and a DICOM file.
     """
     data = {
-        "modality": ModalityTypeValues(modality) if modality else ModalityTypeValues.ASL,
+        "modality": parse_modality(modality),
         "files": [],
         "nifti_file": None,
         "dcm_files": []
@@ -76,7 +89,7 @@ async def get_report_dicom(
     print(base_dir)
 
     data = {
-        "modality": ModalityTypeValues(modality) if modality else ModalityTypeValues.ASL,
+        "modality": parse_modality(modality),
         "dicom_dir": f"{base_dir}/dicom"
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/tests/test_report.py b/apps/backend/tests/test_report.py
index 2dd19c8f..29de07ca 100644
--- a/apps/backend/tests/test_report.py
+++ b/apps/backend/tests/test_report.py
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ def test_get_report_bids_no_files():
     assert response.status_code == 200
     assert isinstance(response.json(), dict)
 
+
+def test_get_report_bids_invalid_modality():
+    response = client.post("/api/report/process/bids", data={"modality": "INVALID"})
+    assert response.status_code == 400
+    assert response.json()["detail"] == "Unsupported modality: INVALID"
+
+
 def test_get_report_dicom_no_files():
     response = client.post("/api/report/process/dicom", data={"modality": "ASL"})
     assert response.status_code == 400
diff --git a/package/src/pyaslreport/modalities/testdsc/processor.py b/package/src/pyaslreport/modalities/testdsc/processor.py
index 6ad1ed39..b3886cdc 100644
--- a/package/src/pyaslreport/modalities/testdsc/processor.py
+++ b/package/src/pyaslreport/modalities/testdsc/processor.py
@@ -14,17 +14,15 @@ def __init__(self, data) -> None:
         """
         super().__init__(data)
 
-    def process(self) -> str:
+    def process(self) -> dict:
         """
         Process the input DSC data.
 
         :param data: The input DSC data to be processed.
         :return: Processed DSC data.
         """
-        # Implement the processing logic for DSC data here
-        # For now, we will just return the input data as a placeholder
-
-        print("Processing DSC data...")
-
-        # Placeholder for actual processing logic
-        return "dsc data"
+        return {
+            "modality": "DSC",
+            "status": "not_implemented",
+            "message": "DSC report generation is not implemented yet."
+        }
diff --git a/package/src/pyaslreport/tests/test_dsc_processor.py b/package/src/pyaslreport/tests/test_dsc_processor.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5df612f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/src/pyaslreport/tests/test_dsc_processor.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from pyaslreport.modalities.testdsc.processor import DSCProcessor
+
+
+def test_dsc_processor_returns_structured_placeholder_response():
+    result = DSCProcessor({"modality": "DSC"}).process()
+
+    assert result == {
+        "modality": "DSC",
+        "status": "not_implemented",
+        "message": "DSC report generation is not implemented yet."
+    }