MRI-based automated detection of implanted low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy seeds using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and unsupervised machine learning (ML)

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in men [1 –3]. Permanent seed brachytherapy also known as low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy is the standard option for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer [4,5]. LDR brachytherapy involves permanent implantation of radioactive sources (seeds) within the prostate gland. To evaluate the quality of the i mplant, post implant dosimetry is typically performed at day 30 following the implantation [6]. The implant quality is mainly assessed through Dose–Volume Histogram (DVH)-related parameters which have been reported to be dependent on the imaging modality [7].
Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - Category: Radiology Authors: Source Type: research