At NYU School of Medicine, a collaborative team are working on 3D printing multi-colored models of prostate cancer for pre-surgical planning.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. And, although the number of deaths from the cancer has dropped in recent years, it’s still a disease we should be talking about.

That’s why events like Prostate Cancer Awareness Month are so important, prompting more conversations and awareness about the disease. One particularly innovative way that researchers are fighting prostate cancer is through patient-specific, color coded 3D models.

To create the models, a team of urological surgeons and radiologists at the NYU School of Medicine are working together. They want to find out whether the models make a difference when it comes to pre-surgical planning and intra-operative guidance.

Nicole Wake, is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Imaging at the New York University School of Medicine. She explains:

“You can be the best surgeon in the world, but still having a 3D model is very useful. It provides guidance and allows for a more successful comprehensive surgery. The surgeons I work with tell me that planning with a 3D model saves time in the operating room, which ultimately improves patient outcomes.”

3D Printing Multicolor Prostate Cancer Models

For this reason, it’s important that the multi-color models are patient-specific. In order to 3D print these designs, the researchers first create 3D models from MRI scans.

Next, the team use a Stratasys J750 printer to fabricate the models. However, the team of researchers received help from the LaGuardia Studio at New York University to make sure the models were accurate.

The final models will predominantly help surgeons. However, Wake also explains that they are useful for helping patients understand their treatment. She said:

“The 3D models help explain the disease to the patient, which is really helpful, because patients don’t typically understand how to interpret radiological images. Having a model to show the patient their cancerous structure or lesion, and the organ itself along with the surgical plan, is very helpful for all involved,”

Wake also adds that the team hope to increase public awareness. If you would like to find out more about the disease, visit the American Cancer Society website.

Source: Stratasys