Surface-Based Ultrasound Scans for the Screening of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Surface-based ultrasound systems have shown a remarkable improvement over the years, both in enhanced image quality, ease-of-use, and reduction in overall system size. Their ability to image organs non-invasively make them a prime technology for the diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases and conditions. One such potential use case is the screening of prostate cancer using prostate-specific antigen density (combining prostate-specific antigen values with prostate volumes). Current literature predominantly focuses on prostate volume estimation techniques that make use of magnetic resonance- or transrectal ultrasound-imaging, while surface-based techniques are largely skipped over. If a reliable surface-based ultrasound prostate cancer screening method can be introduced, a portion of patients may be able to forgo unnecessary magnetic resonance- or transrectal ultrasound-scans. This would save healthcare systems both time and resources as such a screening procedure could potentially be introduced into standard primary care settings with portable point-of-care ultrasound systems available at a fraction of the cost of their larger hospital counterparts. This review considers whether published literature suggests it is possible to use surface-based ultrasound devices in the calculation of prostate volume with high enough efficacy to be used in prostate cancer screening in primary health care, prior to secondary referral.