Abstract
<jats:p>Characterization of the mechanical properties of organs is important for determining their behavior under external mechanical stress, as well as for understanding and predicting their response to diagnosis and therapy. In order to properly understand behavior and develop predictive models, it is important that the method used in measuring properties is consistent with practical application, as different test methods may produce different results. The prostate gland is one of the organs for which an insufficient number of mechanical tests have been carried out. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to expand knowledge about the mechanical behavior of the prostate gland using different test methods. An analysis of the literature has been performed in which the elastic properties of the prostate gland are considered as a measure in diagnosing the risk of malignancy of focal formations in the areas of the gland. Among the diagnostic methods, the main attention is paid to ultrasonic shear wave elastography (SWE), which allows noninvasively assessing the stiffness of biological tissues of organs in normal and pathological conditions.</jats:p>