Variation in mechanical properties is a useful marker for cancer in soft tissue and has been used in clinical diagnosis for centuries. However, to develop such methods as instrumented palpation, there remain challenges in using the mechanical response during palpation to quantify tumor load. This study proposes a computational framework of identification and quantification of cancerous nodules in soft tissue without a priori knowledge of its geometry, size, and depth. The methodology, using prostate tissue as an exemplar, is based on instrumented palpation performed at positions with various indentation depths over the surface of the relevant structure (in this case, the prostate gland). The profile of force feedback results is then compared with the benchmark in silico models to estimate the size and depth of the cancerous nodule. The methodology is first demonstrated using computational models and then validated using tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms, where the depth and volume of the tumor nodule is estimated with good accuracy. The proposed framework is capable of quantifying a tumor nodule in soft tissue without a priori information about its geometry, thus presenting great promise in clinical palpation diagnosis for a wide variety of solid tumors including breast and prostate cancer. Graphical abstract This study proposes a computational framework of quantification of cancerous nodules in soft tissue. The methodology is based on instrumental palpation performed at positions with various indentation depths. The profile of force feedback results is then compared with the benchmark in silico models to estimate the size and depth of the cancerous nodule.

中文翻译：

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一种新的基于触诊的软组织计算框架中肿瘤结节定量方法和实验验证。

机械性能的变化是软组织中癌症的有用标记，并且已经在临床诊断中使用了多个世纪。然而，为了开发诸如仪器触诊的方法，在触诊过程中使用机械反应来量化肿瘤负荷仍然存在挑战。这项研究提出了一种在软组织中癌结节识别和定量的计算框架，而无需事先了解其几何形状，大小和深度。该方法以前列腺组织为例，是基于在相关结构（在此情况下为前列腺）表面具有各种压痕深度的位置进行的仪器触诊。然后将力反馈结果的概况与计算机模型中的基准模型进行比较，以估计癌性结节的大小和深度。该方法首先使用计算模型进行了证明，然后使用模仿组织的明胶模型进行了验证，其中以准确度估算肿瘤结节的深度和体积。所提出的框架能够在没有关于其几何结构的先验信息的情况下对软组织中的肿瘤结节进行定量，从而为包括乳癌和前列腺癌在内的多种实体瘤的临床触诊诊断提供了广阔的前景。图形摘要本研究提出了一种量化软组织中癌性结节的计算框架。该方法基于在具有各种压痕深度的位置处进行的仪器触诊。然后将力反馈结果的概况与计算机模型中的基准模型进行比较，以估计癌性结节的大小和深度。