Quantifying the Impact of Cancer on the Viscoelastic Properties of the Prostate Gland using a Quasi-Linear Viscoelastic Model

Hamed Helisaz; Eric Belanger; Peter Black; Mattia Bacca; Mu Chiao

doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2023.11.002

Quantifying the Impact of Cancer on the Viscoelastic Properties of the Prostate Gland using a Quasi-Linear Viscoelastic Model

Acta Biomater. 2024 Jan 1:173:184-198. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.11.002. Epub 2023 Nov 7.

Authors

Hamed Helisaz¹, Eric Belanger², Peter Black³, Mattia Bacca¹, Mu Chiao⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada.
² Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada.
³ Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada. Electronic address: muchiao@mech.ubc.ca.

PMID: 37939817
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.11.002

Abstract

Pathological disorders can alter the mechanical properties of biological tissues, and studying such changes can help to better understand the disease progression. The prostate gland is no exception, as previous studies have shown that cancer can affect its mechanical properties. However, most of these studies have focused on the elastic properties of the tissue and have overlooked the impact of cancer on its viscous response. To address this gap, we used a quasi-linear viscoelastic model to investigate the impact of cancer on both the elastic and viscous characteristics of the prostate gland. By comparing the viscoelastic properties of segments influenced by cancer and those unaffected by cancer in 49 fresh prostates, removed within two hours after prostatectomy surgery, we were able to determine the influence of cancer grade and tumor volume on the tissue. Our findings suggest that tumor volume significantly affects both the elastic modulus and viscosity of the prostate (p-value less than 2%). Specifically, we showed that cancer increases Young's modulus and shear relaxation modulus by 20%. These results have implications for using mechanical properties of the prostate as a potential biomarker for cancer. However, developing an in vivo apparatus to measure these properties remains a challenge that needs to be addressed in future research. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first to explore how cancer impacts the mechanical properties of prostate tissues using a quasi-linear viscoelastic model. We examined 49 fresh prostate samples collected immediately after surgery and correlated their properties with cancer presence identified in pathology reports. Our results demonstrate a 20% change in the viscoelastic properties of the prostate due to cancer. We initially validated our approach using tissue-mimicking phantoms and then applied it to differentiate between cancerous and normal prostate tissues. These findings offer potential for early cancer detection by assessing these properties. However, conducting these tests in vivo remains a challenge for future research.

Keywords: Data Analytics; Mechanical Properties of Soft Tissue; Prostate Cancer; Quasi-linear Viscoelastic Model.

MeSH terms

Elastic Modulus / physiology
Elasticity
Humans
Male
Neoplasms*
Prostate*
Stress, Mechanical
Viscosity