Measurements of the speed of sound and attenuation of healthy and malignant prostate cells

Abstract

The National Institute of Health reports that for men prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of death due to cancer. The most recent data show that there are about 186 new cases of prostate cancer per 100,000 men, with 24 deaths per 100,000 men each year. Prostate cancer is difficult to detect and diagnose. Currently prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are tested, and biopsies are performed if the PSA levels are high. This is not a very accurate indicator, since two thirds of all biopsies are benign. This study explores the possibility of using quantitative ultrasound as a diagnostic for prostate cancer, by studying the differences in tissue properties between benign and malignant prostate cells. Speed of sound and attenuation as a function of frequency between 2 and 18 MHz were measured and compared for a cancerous prostate cell line and a healthy prostate cell line. Speed of sound for the cancerous cells line was found to be 1521.4 ± 0.8 m/s, which was equivalent to the speed of sound for the healthy cell line of 1521.5 ± 0.6 m/s. The average attenuation coefficient was 0.091 ± 0.003 dB/(cm MHz) for the cancerous prostate cell line and 0.057 ± 0.003 dB/(cm MHz) for the healthy prostate cell line, showing a higher attenuation for the cancerous cell line.