| Prostate cancer is the most
common cancer in men. Early stage, low-risk prostate cancer is treated
by inserting radioactive seeds into the prostate through a process called
ultrasound guided brachytherapy. Over 50,000 men undergo this surgical
procedure annually. The main limitation in this type of therapy is making
sure the seed is placed in the right spot. Placing the seed in the wrong
spot may mean too much radiation directed at the rectum, urethra, or bladder
and not enough radiation directed at the prostate.
Two professors at the Computer-Integrated
Surgical Systems and Technology (CISST) Engineering Research Center (ERC)
at Johns Hopkins University have developed a method to make sure the radioactive
seed is placed in the right location. Dr. Gabor Fichtinger, an associate
research professor, and Dr. E. Clif Burdett, a principal scientist at Acoustic
Medsystems, have developed a functional clinical prototype which uses ultrasound
imaging and C-arm fluoroscopy to visualize soft tissue and the radioactive
seed in the patient. The two images are then combined in an interactive
display, which works with already-available implant guidance systems.
The new system, which recently
finished clinical trials, allows surgeons to instantaneously compensate
for underdosed or missed spots in the prostate region. |
