Why We Funded It:
Needle biopsy is a common technique for diagnosing prostate
cancer, which involves taking small samples of prostate tissue
through the rectum for examination under the microscope. The
procedure can be unreliable, as it may 'miss' the cancer if it is
in an area of the prostate where a sample was not taken, and most
men find the procedure painful or unpleasant. In this project, Dr
Barratt and his team will build and evaluate a new device for
performing prostate needle biopsy, which will allow tissue samples
to be collected much more accurately, using new, state of the art
imaging known as 3D ultrasound. If successful, Dr Barratt's new
system will transform the way in which prostate biopsy is
performed, ultimately leading to a much shorter procedure and much
fewer tissue samples being required. This will improve the accuracy
of diagnosis, improve the experience for men and will ultimately
help to save men's lives, thus providing huge benefits for men with
prostate cancer.
Scientific Title: Improving Prostate Cancer
Diagnosis and Monitoring using 3DUltrasound-Guided Biopsy
Research project summary:
This project will include technical development and testing of a
new 3D ultrasound biopsy system for more effective diagnosis of
prostate cancer. The information provided by current biopsy
techniques is limited and prone to error, hence, the accuracy of
diagnosis and suitability of treatment plans cannot be guaranteed.
The project plan is to build and evaluate a new device for
performing needle biopsy of the prostate, which will allow tissue
samples to be collected much more accurately and reproducibly than
they can using conventional techniques. To achieve this, a new type
of ultrasound imaging, called three-dimensional - or 3D - imaging
will be used that allows the whole prostate to be imaged within a
fraction of a second. In particular, the system will help doctors
to collect samples from pre-determined locations in the prostate
gland according to a standard plan or other information, such as a
previous biopsy or magnetic resonance (MR) image. This may indicate
the location of suspected tumours within the prostate.
If successful, this new "targeted biopsy" strategy will improve
diagnosis using biopsy samples, and result in a much shorter and
more tolerable procedure for men, because fewer samples will be
required to establish a diagnosis. At the very least, the new
method is expected to help improve consistency between different
doctors, hospitals, and on different occasions. This is especially
important for men who undergo regular biopsies as part of an active
surveillance programme, or following treatment to confirm that
cancer has been successfully eradicated. By the end of this
project, the research team expect to have a validated prototype
biopsy system to allow a large scale clinical trial for rigorous
assessment of the new method in patients.
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