Analysis of Prostate Calcification on CT & MRI for ultrasound ablation

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Retrospective analysis of prostate calcification on CT and MRI and modelling ultrasound ablation in phantom models. Using new MRI sequences to better characterise prostate calcification.

  • IRAS ID

    246845

  • Contact name

    Steven Bandula

  • Contact email

    steven.bandula@ucl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University College London Hospital

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men and is one of the principal medical problems facing the male population. While conventional radical treatments for localised prostate cancer such as surgery or radiotherapy provide good local control of disease, they leave men with significant long term complications affecting urinary, bowel and sexual function which can reduce the patient's quality of life. New treatments are now able to treat only the cancer and not the entire prostate, theoretically lowering the risk of complications. Some of these new treatments uses ultrasound waves emitted from a probe placed in a patient's urethra (tube in the penis where urine is expelled) or their rectum (back passage) to heat the prostate where the cancer is.

    Calcification in the prostate gland can affect the way the ultrasound waves travel through the prostate. However not much research has been carried out on this topic.

    This study will use an anonymised database of patients who have had CT scans of their prostate gland to assess the calcification. This data will be used to produce labarotary models to study the way this effects the way ultrasound wave travel. Another aspect of the study is to see whether calcifcation that is seen on CT can only be seen on MRI which is what is normally used to diagnose prostate cancer.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/YH/0411

  • Date of REC Opinion

    17 Oct 2018

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion