CORRELATION OF MECHANICAL IMAGING AND HISTOPATHOLOGY OF RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY SPECIMENS: A PILOT STUDY FOR DETECTING PROSTATE CANCER

Abstract

Purpose A new modality termed mechanical imaging has recently been developed. We determined whether mechanical imaging could be used to detect prostate cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens. Materials and Methods Stress patterns on the surface of excised prostates were evaluated using the data obtained from a planar piezoelectric resistive force sensor array. Seven radical prostatectomy and 2 cystoprostatectomy specimens were manually palpated and evaluated by the mechanical imager. The prostates were histopathologically analyzed for the presence of cancer. The results of the manual palpation, mechanical imaging and pathological analysis were correlated. Results Mechanical imaging correlated closely with nodules palpated in all specimens and in 1 it revealed a suspicious area undetected by palpation, which on subsequent histological analysis demonstrated carcinoma. Conclusions Mechanical imaging can detect areas of heterogeneity in prostate tissue which correlate with cancer. Our findings provide the basis for the development of a transrectal mechanical imaging probe for prostate cancer detection.