PROstate Focal THerapy

Introduction

The PROFTH project aims at developing the robotics and AI technologies to enable focal therapies for prostate cancer (PCa) using the robotic positioning developed during the ERC-PoC PROST. PCa therapy is lagging about 10 years behind therapies for other cancers, such as kidney and breast cancers, which have shifted from invasive surgery to percutaneous ablation of the tumor.

Current Challenges

Several trials are acquiring the clinical evidence to support the shift from radical prostatectomy to PCa focal therapy. This shift is crucial considering the multifocal aspect of PCa and the need to preserve the surrounding anatomical structures.

Key Requirements

Key to focal therapies is the ability to accurately and repeatably position the ablation device in the PCa area. The goal is to achieve minimal tissue removal that satisfies the safety margins around the tumor while leaving other structures untouched.

Previous Solutions

The problem of accurately positioning a biopsy needle in the PCa area has been solved by the PROST project. Thus, we want to build on this capability to set the basis for PCa focal therapy.

Project Objectives

To achieve this goal, PROFTH will address three main objectives:

1. Definition of the joint requirements between clinical needs, capabilities of the current ablation devices, and positioning accuracy of PROST.
2. Development of the digital twin of the pelvic area to integrate the medical information of the patient.
3. Development of a planning algorithm that will compute the position of the ablation devices in the patient’s PCa.

Testing and Validation

We will test the developed algorithms with laboratory and ex-vivo experiments using the ablation systems available at the University Hospital of Verona.