DIAGNOSIS - Prostate Imaging
Ultrasound (US) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are the two main imaging methods used for prostate cancer detection. Urologists use transrectal ultrasound during prostate biopsy and can sometimes see a hypoechoic area. But US has poor tissue resolution and thus, is generally not clinically used. In contrast, prostate MRI has superior soft tissue resolution. MRI is a type of imaging that uses magnetic fields to locate and characterize prostate cancer. Multi-parametric prostate MRI consists of four types of MRI sequences called T2 weighted imaging, T1 weighted imaging, Diffusion Weighted Imaging, MR Spectrocopic Imaging and Dynamic-Contrast Enhanced Imaging. Genitourinary radiologists use multi-parametric MRI to locate and identify prostate cancer. Currently, MRI is used to identify targets for prostate biopsy using fusion MRI with ultrasound (US) or MRI-guidance alone. In men who are candidates for active surveillance, fusion MR/US guided prostate biopsy detected 33% of cancers compared to 7% with standard ultrasound guided biopsy. Prostate MRI is also used for surgical planning for men undergoing robotic prostatectomy. It has also shown to help surgeons decide whether to resect or spare the neurovascular bundle, determine return to urinary continence and help assess surgical difficulty. Some prostate advocacy groups believe prostate MRI should be used to screen for prostate cancer--"manogram"-- like mammogram is for breast cancer. NIH-funded clinical trials are underway to delineate the value of MRI for some of these applications
TOP MEDICAL ISSUES and ANSWERS
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*PROSTATE CANCER* is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a
gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow
growing; howe...
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*PROSTATE CANCER* is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a
gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow
growing; howe...
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*Erectile dysfunction* (*ED*) is sexual dysfunction characterized by the
inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual
performan...
Ultrasound (US) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are the two main imaging methods used for prostate cancer detection. Urologists use transrectal ultrasound during prostate biopsy and can sometimes see a hypoechoic area. But US has poor tissue resolution and thus, is generally not clinically used. In contrast, prostate MRI has superior soft tissue resolution. MRI is a type of imaging that uses magnetic fields to locate and characterize prostate cancer. Multi-parametric prostate MRI consists of four types of MRI sequences called T2 weighted imaging, T1 weighted imaging, Diffusion Weighted Imaging, MR Spectrocopic Imaging and Dynamic-Contrast Enhanced Imaging. Genitourinary radiologists use multi-parametric MRI to locate and identify prostate cancer. Currently, MRI is used to identify targets for prostate biopsy using fusion MRI with ultrasound (US) or MRI-guidance alone. In men who are candidates for active surveillance, fusion MR/US guided prostate biopsy detected 33% of cancers compared to 7% with standard ultrasound guided biopsy. Prostate MRI is also used for surgical planning for men undergoing robotic prostatectomy. It has also shown to help surgeons decide whether to resect or spare the neurovascular bundle, determine return to urinary continence and help assess surgical difficulty. Some prostate advocacy groups believe prostate MRI should be used to screen for prostate cancer--"manogram"-- like mammogram is for breast cancer. NIH-funded clinical trials are underway to delineate the value of MRI for some of these applications
