Read on to discover everything you need to know about prostate MRI images and the critical role they play in diagnosing prostate cancers.
A prostate scan is done via MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) — they use magnets to generate a detailed picture of your prostate and the tissues around it to check for cancerous cells or tumours.
Some of the advantages of having an MRI for prostate cancer detection include: providing information to your doctor about whether or not you have prostate cancer, and how quickly the cancer is likely to grow; being more likely to pick up a slow-growing and non-threatening cancer than a prostate biopsy; enabling your doctor to decide whether you need a prostate biopsy; aiding as a guide for your doctor during a prostate biopsy as the scan images can help determine what parts of the prostate the samples should be taken from; and helping your doctor with your treatment plan if cancer is found, meaning you can start treatment as soon as possible.
In many hospitals and clinics, you may have a special type of MRI scan, known as a multi-parametric MRI scan, prior to having a biopsy. This can also be recommended after a prostate biopsy, or if you are at prostate cancer risk and your doctor wishes to eliminate urological and prostate cancers as a cause of your symptoms.
The main purpose of this is to enable your doctor to diagnose prostate cancer. They can see whether there is any cancer inside of your prostate, as well as determine how likely the cancer is to spread.
To summarise, the reasons why you may have an MRI scan include: to help your doctor determine whether or not you need a prostate biopsy; to help guide a prostate biopsy; to find out if your cancer has spread, or the effects of treatment; and to monitor your prostate cancer if you decide not to have treatment.
Either before you go to your prostate cancer scan appointment, or upon arrival, you will typically need to fill in a safety checklist. The safety checklist will ask about any operations you have had, as well as asking whether you have had any metal implants in your body.
The reason for this is that magnetic resonance imaging uses strong magnetism, which could impact any metal in your body. This includes: metal fragments anywhere in your body, for instance, from dental fillings; cochlear implants; surgical plates, pins, or clips; and an implantable defibrillator or pacemaker.
You may still be able to have a prostate cancer scan if you have some metal in your body, but your radiographer and doctor will determine whether or not it is safe for you.
If you suffer from claustrophobia, contact the department beforehand to let them know. They will make an effort to ensure you are as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
For practical reasons, your radiographer will let you know whether you need to empty your bowels before your prostate imaging, and in some cases, an enema may be given.
The radiographer may ask you to get changed into a provided hospital gown. You will need to: empty your pockets of keys and coins; remove any hair clips; and remove any jewellery, such as your watch or body piercings. If a friend or family member attends, they will need to remove all metal as well.
Once you head into the scanning room, you will lie on your back on the hospital bed, which will slide into the MRI scanner machine. The doctor may inject some dye into a vein in your arm as a contrast medium via a cannula (small plastic tube). This helps the organs in your body to show up more clearly on the scan images. Your radiographer will check with you first to make sure you are not allergic to the dye.
After the dye injection, you may feel: dizziness; a metallic taste in your mouth; flushed or warm; a headache; or nausea. However, these effects should only be mild and should not last long. If you feel unwell at any point throughout the scan or after it, let your radiographer know.
While you are having the prostate cancer scan, you need to stay as still as possible. When you are in the correct position, your radiographer will leave the room. They will watch at all times, either through a window or on a TV screen, and there is an intercom so that you can speak to one another.
The bed will move through the MRI scanning machine while it takes pictures, which your doctor will then examine for signs of prostate cancer. During the scan, the machine will make some loud clanging sounds, although you will be provided with headphones so that your hearing is protected.
After the scan, if you have had the dye, you will typically need to stay in the department for around fifteen minutes to make sure you don't fall ill. Once you have left, you will be able to go back to your daily routine. Results should arrive within a week or two.
Yes, an MRI can help to detect prostate cancers. Often, a prostate biopsy will be carried out first to determine the presence of prostate cancer. After this, an MRI is undertaken to determine the progress of the cancer.
MRI images can showcase whether or not cancer has spread outside of the prostate and into nearby structures, like the seminal vesicles. This is critical in determining prostate cancer treatment options.
There are a number of reasons why your doctor may have ordered an MRI for your prostate. Typically, doctors use such scans to evaluate the extent of prostate cancer and figure out whether or not it has spread.
They can also use MRI scans to diagnose an enlarged prostate, conditions you were born with, or infection. It may also be recommended if you are at risk of prostate cancer or have an elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) result.
MRI scans play a big role when it comes to determining the presence of prostate cancer. This type of imaging can also offer further information regarding prostate cancer, such as how advanced the cancer is and whether or not it has spread.
Compared with a systematic biopsy alone, an MRI — with or without a targeted prostate biopsy — has been linked with a 57% increase in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer.