Initial study toward three-dimensional visualization of histopathological annotation of prostate cancer
Hironori Suzuki, Yuma Iwao, Nahoko Nagano, Takayuki Okamoto, Hideaki Haneishi · 2025
Radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland and seminal vesicles. Following surgery, pathologists assess the pathological specimens to confirm the presence of residual cancer, guiding subsequent treatment decisions. Pathologists analyze these specimens and delineate the cancer’s location on 2D macro images of the prostate and its cross-sections, captured by an optical camera. However, 2D images often fail to convey the depth of the cancer's position effectively, limiting precise localization for urologists and radiologists. To address this issue, we propose a method to achieve 3D visualization of cancer positions. Specifically, we correlate a 3D macro image of specimens, scanned using a 3D scanner, with pathological images. Our approach involves two registration processes, using 2D cross-section images as references to align both pathological images and 3D macro image. From these registration parameters, the spatial relationship between the images can be determined.