Alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents used in MRI's

[Darryl]

Men with prostate cancer are given doses of gadolinium-based contrast agents with almost all of their MRI scans. Malecare is very concerned about the retention of gadolinium in the brain and other organs. We are happy to learn about research from the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. A new protocol, hoping to limit its use. A total of 153 patients with MS were studied over 2 months with the new protocol that did not utilize gadolinium. The images were found to be 94.8% accurate, 80% sensitive and 97% specific.

The investigators reported that the protocol “resulted in a drastic reduction in contrast use, whereby only 13.1% of patients received contrast, helping mitigate concerns regarding the negative effects of gadolinium deposition or other risks related to IV contrast”.

The new protocol also resulted in “significant savings in terms of the costs to the health care system related to the contrast agent itself, time to administer contrast, and time for image generation and interpretation”.