Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

In this project, we propose to combine three Canadian advancements in ultrasound imagingto implement a new and accurate solution for detection and monitoring of cancer. We will useprostate cancer (PCa) as a test case. This is the second most common cancer in Canadian_x000d_men, with about 25,000 new cases per year, and the expected global market for diagnosis_x000d_and monitoring of PCs is $27B CAD/year by 2021. Accurate detection of aggressive PCa_x000d_enables effective treatment of patients through surgical excision of the prostate with minimalrisk for recurrence of disease. It also allows continuous monitoring of cancer progression,_x000d_which is key to improve quality of life, reduce morbidity and increase patient survival._x000d_However, current detection and monitoring methods are not robust: the established_x000d_ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is unable to accurately locate tumors, and recently_x000d_developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches to visualize PCa have a very highrate of false positives and miss small and possibly aggressive cancer. Furthermore, MRI is_x000d_very costly and not widely available in Canada except in large, urban centres, leading to_x000d_delayed diagnosis with worse clinical outcomes. Our unique technology promises to capturechanges in prostate tissue at high-resolution. We will validate this in patients with the help ofour principal knowledge translation partner, Exact Imaging. In addition, we will bring togetherexperts across natural sciences and clinical sciences with clinicians who will use the_x000d_technology, at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. We will follow best practices in incorporation ofsex and gender diversity in recruitment and research, and will train two PhD students, threeundergraduate students, three urology fellows and one research engineer.