German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) presents software systems for computerassisted lung surgery as well as for liver and pancreatic surgery at MEDICA
Preoperative three-dimensional views of the individual patient anatomy provide physicians with added safety in planning and performing treatments. Scientists of the Division of Medical and Biological Informatics of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsfor-schungszentrum, DKFZ) have developed software systems that transform two-dimensional CT or MRT images into three-dimensional reconstructions, thus providing valuable support for physicians performing surgery in various organ systems.
For planning a surgical intervention on the liver or pancreas it is important for the surgeon to know the exact anatomic conditions around the tumor since various organs and vital blood vessels are located in the direct vicinity. Three-dimensional images that can be turned in any direction enable surgeons to determine whether a tumor is locally restricted or has already grown into neighboring tissue. Based on the location of the tumor in relation to the vessels it is possible to predict which areas will potentially be cut off from blood supply after surgery. Thus, complications can be minimized in advance.
Established at the liver surgery section of Heidelberg University Surgical Hospital, the system has now been extended for pancreatic surgery and the first operations have been performed to test it. With high probability, improved orientation will provide more safety for patients and shorten surgery times. The effect on surgery results is currently being investigated in an in-terdisciplinary study.
In lung cancer treatment there are cases in which the most promising treatment option is to place a radiation source directly into a tumor or its sorrounding tissue (brachytherapy). However, it is often difficult for a lung specialist to find the right path to the tumor through the many tubes of the windpipe. In addition, tumors often grow in the tiniest bronchial tubes where they are impossible to reach under direct vision by a bronchoscope. Further difficulties are caused by the fact that the organ is constantly moving due to breathing.
In future, a remedy will be provided in the form of a thin catheter with a navigation probe inside. A combination of an electromagnetic tracking system, which indicates the position of the catheter tip, and a mathematical model that shows the surgeon a path through the branches of the bronchial tree will guide the radiation source safely to its destination. During the whole process the system provides the physician with a 3D visualization of the location of the catheter tip in relation to its surroundings taking into account deviations due to breathing movement. The system is in the development stage and is planned to be first used in a sur-gical intervention in 2006.
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
