Clinical trial · Observational
Photon-Counting Computed Tomography-Based Urethral Visualization Without Catheterization for Radiotherapy Planning: A Prospective Pilot Study Under ANTHEM
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
In prostate cancer radiotherapy, it is important to accurately identify and protect healthy organs near the prostate. One of these structures is the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. If the urethra receives too much radiation, patients may experience urinary side effects. Current CT scans used for treatment planning do not clearly show the urethra unless a urinary catheter is inserted. While a catheter can improve visibility, it may cause discomfort, increase the risk of infection, and slightly change the natural position of the urethra. MRI scans can also help visualize the urethra, but they are not always available and may not fit easily into all treatment workflows. Photon-counting CT (PCCT) is a new type of CT scanner that produces higher-quality images with better detail. This technology may allow doctors to see the urethra without using a catheter. The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate whether PCCT can reliably visualize the urethra in prostate cancer patients without the need for catheter insertion. If successful, this approach could make treatment planning more comfortable and less invasive while helping doctors better protect healthy tissues during radiotherapy.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate Cancer | Malignant Prostate Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| image acquisition | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (0)
[]Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- quality of imaging
- timeFrame
- Day of TC acquisition
- description
- Quantitative quality of prostatic urethra contouring on non-catheter photon-counting CT, assessed using spatial overlap and boundary agreement metrics, specifically the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the 95th percentile Hausdorff distance (HD95), with corresponding confidence intervals.
Secondary outcomes (5)
- measure
- evaluate inter-observer agreement of urethral contours generated on non-catheter PCCT
- timeFrame
- immediately after TC acquisition
- description
- Inter-observer agreement assessed using spatial overlap and distance-based metrics (DSC and HD95).
- measure
- compare non-catheter urethral contours with catheter-based reference contours
- timeFrame
- immediately after TC acquisition
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Male
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Prostate cancer candidate to radiotherapy * Written informed consent. * Eligibility for urethral catheter placement according to institutional practice Exclusion Criteria: * Active or suspected urinary tract infection. * Known urethral stricture or recent urethral surgery * Contraindication to catheter placement.
References
Publications (4)
- BACKGROUNDShah KD, Zhou J, Roper J, Dhabaan A, Al-Hallaq H, Pourmorteza A, Yang X. Photon-counting CT in cancer radiotherapy: technological advances and clinical benefits. Phys Med Biol. 2025 May 16;70(10):10TR01. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/add4ba. PMID 40328288
- BACKGROUNDWillemink MJ, Persson M, Pourmorteza A, Pelc NJ, Fleischmann D. Photon-counting CT: Technical Principles and Clinical Prospects. Radiology. 2018 Nov;289(2):293-312. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2018172656. Epub 2018 Sep 4. PMID 30179101
- BACKGROUNDYoshimura T, Okubo K, Takase Y, et al. Visualizing the urethra by magnetic resonance imaging without catheterization: Post-urination MRI technique. European Journal of Radiology Open. 2021 Jul;8:100382
- BACKGROUNDOng WL, Allan Hupman M, Davidson M, Ruschin M, Detsky J, Liu S, Vesprini D, Loblaw A. Urethra contouring on computed tomography urethrogram versus magnetic resonance imaging for stereotactic body radiotherapy in prostate cancer. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2023 Dec 30;45:100722. doi: 10.1016/j.ctro.2023.100722. eCollection 2024 Mar. PMID 38234697