Ultrasonic Detection and Imaging of Brachytherapy Seeds Based on Singular Spectrum Analysis

Abstract

A commonly used, effective method of treating localized prostate cancer is implantation of small radioactive seeds. The standard imaging modality for treatment-planning dosimetry and for guiding and monitoring seed implantation is transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). However, movement of the prostate during seed insertion can cause seed misplacement, hemorrhage, and clutter from calcifications and other hyperechogenic scattering objects, and the specularity of seeds themselves make detecting seeds and verifying proper dosimetry difficult in an intraoperative time frame. Radiation oncologists would find a real-time imaging system that is capable of providing accurate, post-insertion, seed-location information to be very valuable because the information would enable timely feedback for intraoperatively correcting deficiencies in the radiation dose. Therefore, a remaining challenge for TRUS-guided brachytherapy of prostate cancer is accurate detection and localization of the seeds upon their insertion.