Image-guided robotic interventions for prostate cancer

Robotic prostatectomy is a common surgical treatment for men with prostate cancer, with some studies estimating that 80% of prostatectomies now performed in the USA are done so robotically. Despite the technical advantages offered by robotic systems, functional and oncological outcomes of prostatectomy can still be improved further. Alternative minimally invasive treatments that have also adopted robotic platforms include brachytherapy and high-intensity focused ultrasonography (HIFU). These techniques require real-time image guidance--such as ultrasonography or MRI--to be truly effective; issues with software compatibility as well as image registration and tracking currently limit such technologies. However, image-guided robotics is a fast-growing area of research that combines the improved ergonomics of robotic systems with the improved visualization of modern imaging modalities. Although the benefits of a real-time image-guided robotic system to improve the precision of surgical interventions are being realized, the clinical usefulness of many of these systems remains to be seen.