Prostate cancer diagnosis improves with MRI technology

Oncologists at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center are to meld magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology with a traditional ultrasound prostate exam to create a three-dimensional map of the prostate that allows physicians to view growths that were previously undetectable.
An ultrasound machine provides an imperfect view of the prostate, resulting in an under-diagnosis of cancer, said J. Kellogg Parsons, MD, MHS, the UC San Diego Health System urologic oncologist who, along with Christopher Kane, MD, chair of the Department of Urology and Karim Kader, MD, PhD, urologic oncologist, is pioneering the new technology at Moores Cancer Center.
MRI technology was used to identify and locate a probable tumour during a targeted prostate biopsy for a patient who had previously had multiple negative biopsies but had persistently high PSA levels. Resulting biospy confirmed presence of high-grade cancer.