Noninvasive Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Using Novel Imaging Technique
Posted: Monday, November 19, 2018
Hybrid multidimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be an accurate tool for diagnosing prostate cancer by estimating prostate tissue composition, according to a feasibility study by Aritrick Chatterjee, PhD, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues. The noninvasive, novel imaging technique allows for the measurement of the fractional volumes of prostatic lumen, stroma, and epithelium, which change significantly when cancer is present. The results of the prospective trial, which were published in Radiology, suggest that this noninvasive approach may have better diagnostic accuracy than T2 and apparent diffusion coefficient values.
“These novel quantitative parameters have the potential to improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer and determine its aggressiveness,” concluded the investigators.
After preoperative images were obtained using hybrid multidimensional MRI, the 22 study participants underwent radical prostatectomy. By analyzing the images, the researchers were able to create a map showing the tumor’s location in the prostate by obtaining quantitative measurements of the volumes of each tissue component. Meanwhile, a pathologist marked the tumor on slides of the extracted tissue. The investigators found that the results of the maps and the pathology slides matched closely. By assigning values to the volumes of tissue composition, they were also able to predict the aggressiveness of the tumor.
