New way to diagnose prostate cancer

[AlanMeyer]

The headline in this Jan 20, 2017 story from the BBC is "'Huge leap' in prostate cancer testing."

They use "multi-parametric" MRI scanning, a non-invasive test. It looks to me like it would be especially valuable for men whose PSA has gone up but no one knows yet if they have cancer. If the MRI is clear, no biopsy is needed.

bbc.com/news/health-38665618

[Roger2Dodger]

This is great news! Biopsies are invasive, I have had two...I will not have another.

[ronton2]

Very useful news! Let's hope this means real progress. Prostate biopsies (I've had two) are too random and painful.

[David1958]

I am glad to see this coming out now, even if it was not available for me when I got diagnosed. Next thing you will see is a CT scan. That is a partial joke. It definitely could image the prostate in 3D no less! It would be very expensive. Unfortunately, Insurance companies can be real sticklers for what comes first. Diagnosis, then MRI?

[GeoffNoLongerAS]

Interesting story. I hope it proves out. I was one that developed a severe infection from a biopsy. I have had 6 to date.

Two of the biopsies identified the cancer. My doagnosis is based on a pathologist seeing and grading the cancer.

However, I remember when color dopler was the greatest thing and could guide a biopsy to the cancer. I went to one of the top docs in that field and he said he found yhe areas that should have cancer. He did a biopsy based on the results and the result was no cancer found in the samples.

Recently I had a T3 MRI guided biopsy, same result. No cancer found. I don't know how parametric relates to T3. If this is something new beyond T3.

I am and have been on active surviellence for 8+ years now. I am no longer a candidate gor MRIs due to a hip replacement.

I do hope this proves out but based on my past experiences I have doubts.

[Hidden in reply to GeoffNoLongerAS]

The T is the strength of the magnet, in "Tesla" units of measure. An mpMRI can be done on either.

youtu.be/IYtlRh9Jtrc(Not working as expected?)

[curt504]

The link above, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

is dated: Nov 2013. Is there any new tweaks to PCa scanning or mfgers of better scanners to call around to find etc?

Or anyone know the mfger of the going 3T MP MRI with endorectal probe ? I'm the type who'd google up the sales office and talk to a pre-sales engineer.

I suspect folks view MRI machines as opaque devices where they are just technology with software. Each version of the Tesla electric car rolls out new functionality with software update tweaks. I bet same with MRI mfgers and machine and software versions. I'm early in my investigation.