PROTECT - An Automated Model-based Surgical Planning Tool for Prostate Cancer Brachytherapy
High Dose Rate brachytherapy (HDRBT) offers an attractive treatment option for prostate cancer, involving the implantation of needles in the prostate, which deliver radiation to the tumor site. However, the efficiency of HDRBT currently relies on time-consuming manual segmentations of the prostate and urethra. Treatment efficiency is also affected by needle misplacement, occurring due to the deformation imposed on prostate tissue during needle insertion.
PROTECT seeks to address these challenges by developing an integrated, cloud-based platform for automatic segmentations of the organs of interest and for personalized simulations of needle insertion, which will substantially enhance the accuracy and efficiency of HDRBT procedures. PROTECT's aim is to establish a cutting-edge machine learning framework for automatic delineation of the prostate gland and urethra, and to develop a novel in-silico modeling tool for patient-specific predictions of needle insertion which account for the induced deformation. Utilizing a state-of-the-art image acquisition protocol, high-quality medical images and segmentations during HDRBT will offer a versatile framework for training machine learning algorithms and for reliable model personalization. The PROTECT platform will then be employed for validation of model developments in a clinical environment, raising the project activities to TRL7. PROTECT's overarching aim is the development of a training tool for the preoperative planning of HDRBT, which will offer a substantial boost in treatment efficiency and patient outcomes, enhancing the life quality of patients and offering socio-economic benefits.
The project will build on effective collaboration between an academic research institution (UCY), a clinical center (GOC) and a small enterprise (aHealth) to deliver this ambitious objective. Future commercialization of project results is a key objective, as the carefully planned exploitation actions will substantially enhance the competitiveness of the consortium.
CyI Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Constantine Dovrolis
Additional Info
- Acronym: PROTECT
- Website: Under construction
- Center: CaSToRC
- Funding Source: RIF/CODEVELOP-AG-SH-HE/0823
- CyI Funding: €103.560
- Funding Period: 2 years
- Starting Date: 02/05/2024
- End Date: 01/05/2026
- Coordinator: LINAC-PET SCAN OPCO LTD
- Partners: THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS, 3AE HEALTH LTD, EUNDO LIMITED
