Prostate cancer detection with an improved resonance sensor system: parameter evaluation in a silicone model and on human prostate tissue in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to improve a resonance sensor system for prostate cancer detection and evaluate its performance on silicone with different hardness. Furthermore, to investigate if the instrument could distinguish between cancerous and normal prostate tissue in one in vitro prostate specimen. The system could measure the frequency shift, impression depth and the rise time of the force signal. The frequency shift, impression depth and the rise time described the relative hardness of silicone (n = 50, P < 0.05). The results from measurements on the prostate specimen indicated that there is a significant difference in the parameter data between cancerous and normal prostate tissue (n = 15, P < 0.05). The parameters' impression depth and force rise time adds important information for cancer detection. Further studies on prostate tissue with different tumour types must be performed in order to understand the full value of the new sensor system.