Morphological Lesion Detection in CT Colonography

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的具体目的是开发一套新的方法，以促进CT结肠镜在结直肠癌筛查中的应用。结直肠癌是癌症相关死亡的第二大原因，可通过早期发现和切除前驱病变在很大程度上加以预防。不幸的是，结肠直肠癌筛查的依从性仍然很差。CT结肠镜检查是一种快速、无创、安全的检查，具有显著提高筛查依从性的潜力。然而，为了使CT结肠镜检查成为一种主要的筛查方式，必须克服当前的几个限制。本项目试图通过发展以下方面来克服这些限制：自动息肉检测算法，帮助放射科医生准确评估来自低患病率筛查人群的大量研究，数字移除标记粪便的方法，允许在不需要完全撤离的情况下进行测试，增强的工作流程工具和改进的可视化方法，允许快速准确地审查每次检查产生的大量数据，并提供更详细的病变量化，以协助放射科医生识别具有最大恶性潜力的特定病变。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The specific aim of this project is development of a suite of novel methods to facilitate the use of CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death, can be largely prevented by early identification and removal of precursor lesions. Unfortunately, compliance with colorectal cancer screening remains poor. CT colonography is a fast, non-invasive, and safe test that has the potential to significantly increase screening compliance. However, in order for CT colonography to become a primary screening modality, several current limitations must be overcome. This project attempts to overcome those limitations by developing: algorithms for automated polyp detection to assist radiologists in accurately evaluating large numbers of studies from a screening population with low disease prevalence, methods for digital removal of tagged stool to permit testing to be performed without the need for complete evacuation, enhanced workflow tools and improved visualization methods to permit fast and accurate review of the large volumes of data produced by each examination, and provide more detailed quantification of lesions to assist radiologists in identifying specific lesions with the greatest malignant potential. The Phase II effort will include evaluation of our methods by comparison to radiologist reports and the results of optical endoscopic examinations. We will also work with leading radiologists and a gasteroenterologist to optimize the clinical utility of our work.