Research Goals

Developing improved diagnostic and treatment tools for prostate cancer in humans through the use of a canine (dog) model is the main purpose of the U of S Team for Prostate Research.  Using a synchrotron-based x-ray source for imaging and therapy at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) this multi-disciplinary team is investigating prostate disease using new and conventional imaging methods.  Long-term goals include the development and validation of synchrotron x-ray imaging for research and clinical imaging of animal and human prostate glands as well as exploration of spontaneous canine prostatic diseases as a model for human diseases and development of a model of induced prostatic carcinoma in dogs.  The intention is to provide a basis for cost-effective analysis when selecting imaging methods for the diagnosis of prostate disease in the clinical setting, reducing unnecessary and expensive imaging tests and improving early detection rates.  The involvement of under-graduate and graduate students, basic and clinical researchers and junior faculty at the University of Saskatchewan makes this team truly multi-disciplinary and diverse.

Objectives for this study are to compare a synchrotron-based xray imaging technique known as Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI) to conventional imaging - computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and real-time ultrasonography (RTU) for the detection of early pathologic changes in the prostate.  We will aim to identify diagnostically useful imaging markers through the use of DEI that may provide earlier detection of precancerous and cancerous changes compared with conventional CT, MRI and RTU technologies. 

We belive that if successful, the completion of these goals will pave the way for greatly improved imaging of all stages of changes in the prostate gland, leading to better diagnosis and treatment for cancer in humans.