The thing with prostate cancer is that they are slow-growing and could have minimal harmful effects during a man’s lifetime. At least, compared to other forms of cancer. In that regard, clinically significant cancers have higher risks of developing more serious problems, such as blockages in the urinary tract, painful bone lesions, and even death.
To detect these dangerous cancers, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests are usually administered, followed by tissue sampling of the prostate with ultrasound guidance. These methods are a great way to detect cancer in its early stages.
More recently, medical practitioners recognize the benefits of using magnetic resonance imaging or MRI in detecting such cancers to help them with a diagnosis. Since an MRI scanner is complex equipment, you must only get its parts from trusted sources like DirectMed Parts.
Today, an important MRI-related question has been floating in the air in the medical industry: Can prostate MRI detect prostate cancer in men better than systematic biopsy?
This article will get into the details about MRI scanning and if it does a better job in detecting such cancers. We’ll do this by understanding the functions of an MRI, comparing it to systematic biopsy, and more.
What Do the Studies Say About MRI and Prostate Cancer?
According to a diagnostic study in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a population of 1000 men who are at risk for prostate cancer was tested, and the results were astonishing. In the study, they used different MRI approaches, MRI alone, MRI with a biopsy, and a pathway that uses MRI.
Three hundred of these men were known to have clinically significant prostate cancer, and the MRI correctly identified 273 of the men, missing the remaining 27. Meanwhile, 700 of the men who don’t have prostate cancer were correctly identified by the MRI and counted 259 of them, but have misclassified 441 men as having prostate cancer.
As for the MRI-targeted biopsy, it was able to identify 240 of 300 men as having clinically significant prostate cancer but missing 60 other men. And for the 700 men who don’t have prostate cancer, MRI was able to identify 658 men who are prostate cancer-free and misclassified only 42 men.
On the other hand, the MRI pathway correctly identified 216 men out of 300 having significant prostate cancer, missing 84 men. As for the 700 men who don’t have prostate cancer, the MRI pathway was able to identify 672 men, missing only 28 subjects.
Bringing systematic biopsies into the picture — it can correctly identify 189 men out of 300 having significant prostate cancer. And when it comes to the 700 men who don’t have prostate cancer, the systematic biopsy didn’t miss any subject.
Now to compare the MRI pathway to systematic biopsy, MRI pathways are 12% more likely to make the right diagnosis than a systematic biopsy. Because of this, more medical establishments may find the need to incorporate MRI for prostate diagnosis.
For this reason, it’s crucial to only use high-quality MRI parts from DirectMed Parts to ensure the safety of the patient and adequate results.
The Bottom Line: What Are the Indications of This Study?
The findings from this diagnostic study imply that the MRI pathway does a better job at detecting significant prostate cancer than systematic biopsies, providing correct diagnosis for medical professionals. However, this study has many layers and is still up for further research.
In the meantime, medical establishments are encouraged to use high-quality MRI equipment and parts to ensure quality results for every session.
How Can DirectMed Parts Help You?
If you’re looking for high-quality and trusted MRI parts, check out DirectMed Parts.
We are the most trusted and knowledgeable source for medical imaging parts and services. Besides that, we understand the importance of working with service professionals. As a result, we provide quick and accurate delivery of quality parts to our customers. Check out our products today!
