Atlas-Based Determination of Tumor Growth Direction

A method for determining the spatial development of tumor tissue, executed. by one or more processors, comprising:

• acquiring, by one or more of the processors, patient medical image data describing sequences of patient medical images of tumors in parts of patient bodies, wherein the patient medical images of each sequence have been taken at subsequent points in time and each sequence has been taken for a different patient;
• determining, by one or more of the processors, by additively fusing subsequent patient medical images of each sequence to one another, patient spatial development data describing the spatial development of a tumor in each patient body;
• acquiring, by one or more of the processors, atlas data describing an atlas representation of the parts of patient bodies;
• determining, by one or more of the processors, based on the atlas data and the patient development data, development probability data describing a probability for a spatial development of a tumor.

At least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions for determining the spatial development of tumor tissue, the instructions comprising:

• a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
• acquire, by one or more of the processors, patient medical image data describing sequences of patient medical images of tumors in parts of patient bodies, wherein the patient medical images of each sequence have been taken at subsequent points in time and each sequence has been taken for a different patient;
• determine, by one or more of the processors, by additively fusing subsequent patient medical images of each sequence to one another, patient spatial development data describing the spatial development of a tumor in each patient body;
• acquire, by one or more of the processors, atlas data describing an atlas representation of the parts of patient bodies;
• determine, by one or more of the processors, based on the atlas data and the patient development data, development probability data describing a probability for a spatial development of a tumor.

A system for determining the spatial development of tumor tissue, comprising:

• memory storing instructions to cause one or more processors to:
• acquire, by one or more of the processors, patient medical image data describing sequences of patient medical images of tumors in parts of patient bodies, wherein the patient medical images of each sequence have been taken at subsequent points in time and each sequence has been taken for a different patient;
• determine, by one or more of the processors, by additively fusing subsequent patient medical images of each sequence to one another, patient spatial development data describing the spatial development of a tumor in each patient body;
• acquire, by one or more of the processors, atlas data describing an atlas representation of the parts of patient bodies;
• determine, by one or more of the processors, based on the atlas data and the patient development data, development probability data describing a probability for a spatial development of a tumor;
• a display device operatively coupled to one or more of the processors for displaying information content of data determined by one or more of the processors.