Infrared Visualization of the Prostate Cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Among oncological diseases, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men. Despite the latest diagnostic achievements, there is no precise method for differentiation of clinically significant malignant alterations of the prostate from insignificant changes to avoid undertreatment or overtreatment of such patients. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to (i) identify the dependence of prostate tissue resolution on infrared wavelength, (ii) differentiate malignant tissue from benign prostatic hyperplasia, and (iii) develop diagnostic software for processing the obtained infrared images. METHODS The postsurgical biomaterials of the prostate gland were distributed among two groups. Group 1 consisted of 78 samples of prostate cancer tissue obtained after radical prostatectomy, and group 2 consisted of 48 samples of benign prostatic hyperplasia obtained by transvesical prostatic adenomectomy. The infrared images of retained biomaterials were processed by special diagnostic computer software. RESULTS The highest resolution of prostate tissue was obtained in the range of 840-860 nm wavelength of the infrared specter. The intensity of the infrared images ranged from 0.039550 to 0.293524 for prostatic cancer, and from 0.3245699 to 0.992317 for normal prostatic tissue. CONCLUSIONS Infrared imaging is an effective method of differentiation of prostatic cancer from benign prostatic hyperplasia.