Multiparametric MRI for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
If your urologist recommends that a prostate needle biopsy should be done, ask your urologist about first getting a multiparametric MRI (mpMRI).
This MRI (mpMRI) is a special type of MRI scan that produces a more detailed picture of your prostate gland than a standard MRI scan does. This MRI is non-invasive unlike the prostate 12 needle biopsy. A prostate 12 needle biopsy is very invasive. If the mpMRI shows an abnormality or suspicious area(s) then a ultrasound-guided "transperineal" biopsy can be done with pen point accuracy unlike the blind random 12 needle biopsy which can miss significate cancer core samples.
youtube.com/watch?v=CeGNz9BLT6w
Imaging prior to a biopsy is certainly an enlightened approach. Five years ago, in view of my rising PSA and middling total PSA score, my urologist recommended a Ga68 PSMA-PET scan to be more certain of the requirement of a biopsy. The PSMA-PET scan did reveal a lesion and the scan helped to guide a TRUS biopsy. mpMRI also plays a very significant role in fusion biopsies.
One can only hope that one day soon some form of liquid biopsy will do away with the need for a needle biopsy altogether.
Hi
. I'm pretty sure you have seen my articles on the various urinary biomarker tests. Now I want to share with you this article looking at the potential for blood based liquid biopsies for prostate cancer: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-022-01881-9. It looks like there is still work to do, but it certainly looks like there is hope. While cost is raised as an issue (isn't it always), the primary science issue to overcome may be the generally low level of prostate cancer circulating tumor cells in the blood, particularly in early stage cancer - which is the point we really want to be able to detect the cancer at. Best, Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team)
