Prostate ultrasound image processing

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in men in the United States and a leading factor in cancer-related deaths. It is a major health issue causing a dramatic impact on the lifestyle of elderly men. Treatment is, however, available, but most successful when the cancer is in an early stage; treatment of an advanced cancer, especially if the spread is beyond the prostate, can be very complex and in many cases incurable. To find the cancer still in an early stage it important for men over the age of 50 to get an annual screening. Presently, several different screening techniques are used to diagnose the presence of the prostate carcinoma, the most common of which are digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). In cases where the presence of cancer is highly suspicious, a biopsy usually follows the screening to fully confirm the diagnosis.