Transforming healthcare: revolutionising prostate cancer diagnosis through innovative research

All men are at risk of prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer in men, and in the UK alone, more than 52,000 men a year are diagnosed with it, according to Prostate Cancer UK. One in eight men are predicted to develop the disease in their lifetime.

Currently, there is no prostate cancer screening programme in primary care. Clinicians rely on men presenting with symptoms and the testing process isn’t always reliable. It can also be painful, and the risks include bleeding, infection, and erectile dysfunction. Many men are referred to secondary care unnecessarily, creating enormous anxiety and wasting expensive tests such as MRI scans or biopsies: as many as three quarters of men who agree to a biopsy will not have the disease. It is estimated that 55% of the 4.5M annual biopsies delivered worldwide could be avoided through more accurate identification of patients at real risk of prostate cancer.

Changing the approach to diagnostics

Clinicians currently use a relatively subjective finger exam and a prostate specific antigen blood test to help detect prostate cancer, but these methods are not perfect and will not find all prostate cancers. They can also result in many false positive results.

At IntelliPalp Dx, a Heriot-Watt University spin-out, researchers in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian, have created the innovative ProstaPalp® device. Revolutionising the screening process, ProstaPalp® offers a more efficient, safer, and lower cost alternative to current diagnostic methods and provides more accurate testing at an early stage.

By forging an initial academic/clinical partnership at the start of the project, the IntelliPalp team identified the need to take measurements with the prostate in situ. This insight led to the design of ProstaPalp®, which is a digital finger-like device worn under the clinician’s glove during DREs (digital rectal examinations) or mounted on a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) probe. Combining results from a probe in a signal processing algorithm, ProstaPalp® delivers more user-friendly, reproducible and reliable results than current tests.

Utilising unique technology

ProstaPalp’s unique technology comprises a base unit (a microprocessor with embedded software, display and data collection functions and a linked mini-hydraulic actuator) connected to a small, disposable, 10-use probe. During a DRE or TRUS examination, a sophisticated algorithm can identify whether the patient has a low, intermediate, or high risk of significant prostate cancer.

ProstaPalp® makes an independent assessment by oscillating against the prostate’s surface, determining its firmness. It has the ability to change the frequency of oscillation, the indentation depth and the amplitude of oscillation, so it can be used in a much more exploratory way than other devices.

It measures twelve points to create a map of cancerous nodules and uses an algorithm to determine cancer risk. The incorporation of model-based interpretation also allows ProstaPalp® to be used in an intelligent way, giving the user instructions on how to improve the measurement during a test.

Delivering for patients

The quick, clear and objective results delivered by ProstaPalp® offer a rapid primary care-based assessment which would dramatically speed up initial diagnosis. Its effectiveness means only those patients who are likely to have cancer will be referred to hospital for an MRI scan and biopsy, while immediate reassurance can be given to those who are not at risk.

Keeping the focus on those patients that need more urgent treatment saves considerable expense and energy use of unnecessary MRI scans, streamlining the process of test and treatment, and helping health services to better focus attention and resources. This presents a huge opportunity to reduce the enormous burden on secondary care, as well as delivering significant positive impact on patient experience.

The IntelliPalp team believe the device could reduce the number of MRI scans and prostate biopsies performed by half, releasing precious healthcare resources that can be focused on other areas.

There is no other comparable technology currently available for prostate cancer diagnosis. The innovative qualities and impact of ProstaPalp® have already been recognised: the device won the Healthcare & Medical category in the 2022 Collaborate to Innovate awards, run by The Engineer magazine, and its ‘Grand Prix’ ‘winner of winners’ prize.

Partnership working

To develop ProstaPalp® and get it to market, IntelliPalp has been collaborating with Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh universities; the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK; the Medical Research Council – a national funding agency for medical research; the Western General Hospital – a teaching hospital in Edinburgh; and CENSIS – Scotland’s Innovation Centre for sensing, imaging and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The IntelliPalp project is supported with funding from Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency, and the Urology Foundation, a charity that supports urology research and care and Scottish Edge, a competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s innovative, high growth potential entrepreneurial talent, funded by the Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and private donors.