The project builds on all the scientific outputs produced during the ERC Starting Grant 280209 to achieve accurate localization of prostate cancer by dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) imaging. In particular, a novel method, named contrast ultrasound dispersion imaging (CUDI), was developed that has shown great promise for achieving accurate prostate cancer localization by DCE-US imaging. This PoC project has been very successful, leading to the establishment of a startup company, Angiogenesis Analytics, and the professional implementation of all the algorithms into a software package that is now in use in a large multicenter clinical trial with seven hospitals involved, with the aim of including 800 patients. A business plan has been developed and several investors are now formally committed to support the launch of a new product, PCaVision, for prostate cancer diagnostics. An advisory board has also been established to define an effective marketing strategy to favors the clinical uptake of the product. Agreements have also been achieved with ultrasound and contrast-agent manufacturers interested in joining our efforts to improve prostate cancer diagnostics and bring PCaVision to the market. The software produced during this project is based on 3D DCE-US, which allows for the analysis of the full prostate gland with the injection of a single contrast-agent bolus. Moreover, going beyond DCE-US, PCaVision allows for the inclusion of additional ultrasound parameters through a multiparametric approach supported by machine learning. As a result, parameters derived from shear-wave elastography and standard B-mode imaging can also be coregistered in order to boost the cancer localization performance. Preliminary, promising results using this software have been presented at the Annual Conference of the European Association of Urology in July 2021. Given the promise of the tool developed, the first steps have also been made to extend our reach by including other clinical applications.
