Grant: Idea to Innovation

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in North American men. Brachytherapy entails permanent implantation of radioactive sources with needles into the prostate, under live ultrasound image guidance. Brachytherapy is applied in ~55,000 cases annually in North America, with excellent survival rates and control of cancer. At the same time, radiation toxicity remains a very significant problem. Incorrect spatial calibration between implant needles and the ultrasound image leads to faulty delivery of the radiation dose. This reduces the efficacy of cancer control and directly contributes to negative side effects, such as rectal ulcers and incontinence. Calibration today is a laborious manual process, performed periodically, with the assumption that the calibration remains valid over time. In reality, however, calibration parameters may change inadvertently during storage, transportation and setup in the operating room. This is practically impossible to detect during the procedure and thus the surgeon can never be certain whether the system functions correctly. In contrast to contemporary practice, we propose to calibrate the brachytherapy system in the operating room. Our method is fully automated and could be implemented in only a few minutes while the patient is being prepared for surgery. Should this proposal be successful, we will demonstrate that our approach is significantly more reliable and accurate while costing less than conventional calibration. By increasing the accuracy of brachytherapy, our results will enhance the standard of care and quality of life for millions of men suffering from prostate cancer.