From planar to volumetric quantification of metastatic burden
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | EXINI DIAGNOSTICS AKTIEBOLAG - EXINI Diagnostics AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 223 000 |
| Project duration | May 2013 - November 2013 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate the technical, clinical and commercial prerequisites and to minimise risk in conjunction with an upcoming project aiming towards the development of image analysis methods for estimating the metastatic burden in the skeleton resulting from advanced prostate cancer. The goal is to extend the current analysis to 3D using medical imaging modalities such as PET, SPECT and CT. We present suitable technical solutions to this end.
Results and expected effects
The preliminary study shows that the interest in 3D analyses is increasing along with the increase in number of examinations and availability of equipment. The fast pace of innovation in this field has lead to a range of methods and imaging techniques used to diagnose metastatic disease. We propose a general system which is applicable to 3D image data and present preliminary results from a handful specific methods for analysis.
Approach and implementation
Focus is on four image analysis methods which use 3D image information to increase precision and robustness when measuring metastatic burden. We propose a step-wise approach where each implementation step is followed by technical and clinical verification. This approach minimises the risk of investing time and money into the development of methods which do not meet clinical needs or which do not work in clinical practice.