Why MRI fusion biopsy is superior for finding prostate cancer
/Why MRI fusion biopsy is superior for finding prostate cancer
In recent years, a more accurate means of finding and diagnosing prostate cancer is utilizing a technique called MRI fusion biopsy. Unlike traditional ultrasound guided biopsies, an MRI fusion biopsy uses information from both MRI imaging and ultrasound imaging. What this provides is a much more accurate biopsy approach for men when diagnosing prostate cancer.
A key factor to surviving prostate cancer is early detection. Not only does early detection increase the potential for a cure but is also crucial for preserving the quality of a man’s life. MRI fusion biopsy is a necessary tool providing men with the most up-to-date method for finding prostate cancer at its earliest stages.
Traditional prostate biopsy
In the past three decades, existing methods used to look for prostate cancer have not improved a great deal. The traditional rectal exam is not considered to be an effective screening tool since probing with a finger can only access part of the prostate gland. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, around since 1994, can detect levels of protein that often increase when prostate cancer is present. However other conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatitis, can also increase a man’s PSA level. Some men may have a high PSA result but do not actually have cancer while other men with a low PSA level actually do.
This often results in scenarios such as the following: A man goes to have his PSA levels checked which come back being elevated. He then has a traditional ultrasound-guided biopsy which comes back negative for prostate cancer. He is told he has no cancer and goes on with his life. However, a few months or years later, he notices problems with urinating or feeling sharp pains in his side. A visit to his doctor reveals an enlarged prostate and is prescribed medication. But down the road he is still frustrated with his symptoms so he sees a different doctor who administers an MRI fusion biopsy. The finding from this biopsy shows he does have prostate cancer and it is now at an advanced stage. Because of the precise, targeted MRI fusion biopsy which found the tumor in an unusual location, he is treated and survives the cancer which he may have not since the standard biopsy had earlier missed it.
There have always been drawbacks to the standard prostate biopsy. To conduct this test, a series of needles are poked into different areas of the prostate gland guided by ultrasound. The ultrasound images guide where to place the needles but the picture quality is not distinct enough to distinguish cancerous from normal prostate tissue. Usually a total of 6 to 12 tissue samples of the prostate are removed to be examined. While this can be effective in detecting larger tumors, these random biopsies can miss smaller cancerous areas while turning up others that are inconsequential that are treated unnecessarily.
MRI fusion biopsy improves accuracy of diagnosing prostate cancer
Using the older standard ultrasound prostate biopsy is simply not as accurate for identifying prostate cancer. This is where the MRI fusion biopsy is superior. This method utilizes and incorporates information obtained from both MRI and ultrasound imaging of the prostate. Together, this information is merged boosting the accuracy and sensitivity of detecting prostate cancer up to 2 times better than a standard ultrasound guided biopsy. A huge advantage MRI fusion biopsies have over standard prostate biopsies is that it covers the entire prostate whereas traditional methods only covered less than 10%. Therefore, previously unseen tumors can now be spotted and any tumors in inaccessible tissue are now easily detected.
A crucial factor for diagnosing prostate cancer is to be able to accurately find the location of where the cancer is. Not only do MRI fusion biopsies identify the location but it also can accurately diagnosis the grade and size of the cancer crucial for determining the best treatment method for the patient. Having this kind of precision accuracy available, makes it much easier for the physician to make a recommendation whether a patient is a candidate for active surveillance, surgery or radiation.
Another huge advantage of MRI fusion biopsy is by having the ability to map out the location and extent of the tumor, this is information is critical for identifying which men are good candidates for nerve sparing procedures to preserve the nerves that control erections reducing the incidence of erectile dysfunction. It also can help determine what type of continence preserving techniques are best for optimizing a man’s urinary control reducing urinary incontinence.
What happens during a MRI fusion biopsy?
The procedure itself is short and minimally invasive. Patients are under sedation making them relaxed and comfortable. During the procedure, a thorough evaluation of the prostate is performed. Any areas indicating the presence of a possible tumor are marked and analyzed.
Dr David Samadi uses the UroNav version 1.2 fusion biopsy system making him one of the first urology groups in the area to offer this enhanced biopsy option for his patients. UroNav fuses pre-biopsy MR images of the prostate with ultrasound-guided biopsy images in real time, for excellent delineation of the prostate and suspicious lesions.
After the MRI prostate is done, radiologists utilize DynaCAD for Prostate to visualize and evaluate suspicious lesions. The fusion of MR and ultrasound images through UroNav is what makes this biopsy system especially useful guiding urologists with a much more targeted and precise approach to prostate biopsy.
MRI fusion biopsy offers new hope
MRI fusion biopsy technology is a welcome addition to the arsenal of cancer-fighting tools for detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer. Most health insurance plans cover it making it an attractive method for reducing other unwarranted medical procedures.
Even though this technology is still relatively new, more and more data is showing the efficacy of the procedure which brings new hope for men and their loved ones while providing healthcare providers the latest technology for identifying and targeting suspicious prostate tumors.