Jessica Rodgers
Jessica Rodgers received her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Engineering at Queen‘s University. She is currently a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Aaron Fenster, in the Imaging area of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program. Standard of care for gynecologic cancer may include high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy, which involves positioning a high activity radioactive source through needles directly into the tumour and surrounding area. Currently, needles are inserted through a template with either no intra-operative visualization or with two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) guidance. Using 2D images makes needle placement and depth identification difficult to visualize, which can lead to suboptimal needle positions. Complications are possible with this approach due to the proximity of critical organs, including the bladder and rectum. We propose to improve visualization of interstitial needles during gynecologic brachytherapy by introducing three-dimensional transrectal or transvaginal US guidance during the procedure.
