A New Poroelastography Method to Assess the Solid Stress Distribution in Cancers

Growth, invasion, and metastasis of cancers are directly linked to the cancer's stiffness and the solid stress (SSg) that develops inside the cancer. Currently, there are no non-invasive methods to assess the SSg distribution in cancers. In this paper, we develop an analytical model for the compression-induced solid stress (SSc) distribution that generates inside a tumor in a poroelastography experiment. We theoretically prove that the SSc has the same spatial distribution as the SSg inside the tumor. We also demonstrate that it is possible to estimate the spatial distribution parameter of SSg α and the ratio between vascular permeability (VP) and interstitial permeability (IP) from the computed SSc. The developed analytical model is validated using finite element and ultrasound simulations. The technical feasibility of the proposed technique is demonstrated in a small animal model study in vivo. Based on the influential role of solid stress in modulating the cancer microenvironment, the proposed methodology may be useful in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.