MRI-first strategy for prostate cancer detection proves deemed safe and effective

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-12-22 18:46:24 | Updated at 2024-12-22 23:24:02 4 hours ago

MRI-first strategy for prostate cancer detection proves deemed safe and effective
Medical Xpress / Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin / JAMA Oncology ^ | Dec. 19, 2024 | Charlie A. Hamm et al

Posted on 12/22/2024 10:40:16 AM PST by ConservativeMind

There are several strategies for the early detection of prostate cancer. The first step is often a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). If PSA levels exceed a certain threshold, the next step typically involves taking a tissue sample for analysis. Another option is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to search for signs of a tumor before deciding whether a biopsy is necessary.

Researchers conducted a study to determine whether this MRI-first approach is safe over the long term. Their findings show that this strategy poses no additional risk to patients for at least three years.

This approach, in which normal MRI findings are followed by regular urological checks, did in fact prove to be sufficiently reliable: The study found that 96% of patients with a normal MRI result would not go on to develop aggressive prostate cancer within three years. Aggressive prostate cancer was detected during further monitoring in just 4% of participants whose initial MRI findings had been negative.

The team included and monitored nearly 600 patients with suspected prostate cancer in their study. The subjects underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI). This type of MRI detects multiple tissue-specific parameters, including the signal intensity of the prostate tissue, the blood flow or perfusion, and the diffusion of water molecules in the tissue.

"Tissue samples were taken only if the MRI showed suspicious findings in the prostate. Patients with normal MRI findings underwent regular urological check-ups for three years instead," Dr. Hamm says.

The authors say two other aspects are crucial. First, a high-quality MRI scan must be performed and analyzed by experienced experts; that means training more radiologists in the interpretation of prostate MRI scans and using standardized methods. Second, it is important to create a safety net for patients who do not undergo immediate biopsy.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...

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This makes sense to me, as another recent study expecting to find early biopsies helpful to start early therapy was found to not provide much benefit to lifespan. It was believed that those who had biopsies that were positive were causing cancer cells to break away and colonize elsewhere, even before a treatment started.

However, this study still biopsied, so it would only delay that cancer migration a little whole longer.

We need to get more non-invasive tests, likely blood tests, to identify such cancer, instead.

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2 posted on 12/22/2024 10:40:55 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)

To: ConservativeMind

What, andvanced imaging of the internal body and its organs has medical benefits!? Who knew. /sarc

To: ConservativeMind

“safe and effective”

It’s an unfortunate choice to use that phrase unironically these days.

4 posted on 12/22/2024 10:44:21 AM PST by irishjuggler

To: ConservativeMind

5 posted on 12/22/2024 10:46:14 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)

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