Posted by John Ager on 24 January 2017.
A British study recently published in The Lancet found that multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) in patients with suspected prostate cancer can: (1) increase the the accuracy of diagnosis of aggressive cancers from 48% to 93%; (2) reduce the over-diagnosis of harmless cancers by 5%; and (3) reduce unnecessary biopsies by 27%.
The findings are significant because prostate cancer has both aggressive and harmless forms. Current testing involves biopsy once cancer is suspected, usually based on an elevated PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. Biopsies, however, involve tissue samples taken at random. This limits the effective of the procedure because aggressive cancers can be missed and cancers which are detected often can’t be confirmed as aggressive or benign. This can lead a lack of treatment of life-threatening lesions as well as unnecessary treatments which have no benefit to the patient and very often cause serious side-effects affecting bladder control or the ability obtain an erection.
When used in advance of biopsy, MP-MRI can provide information about the location of a lesion and whether it is likely to be dangerous. This information can then be used to make better informed decisions about whether to biopsy at all and, if so, where. Reducing the number of biopsies will reduce the costs associated with biopsy itself, along with the number of associated adverse events such as infection and the additional cost of those events. More importantly, it will improve the quality of life for a significant number of patients who might not survive an undetected, aggressive cancer or who otherwise could unnecessarily lose important and meaningful bodily functions.
Our increasing ability to peer into the human body, coupled with the continuing discovery of ways to make that insight useful, is awesome, fascinating and wonderful all at once. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the scientists, engineers and physicians who dedicate their professional lives to the these important, live-saving and life-altering work. Thanks.
