Spectroscopy Can Detect Aggressive Prostate Tumors

However, biopsy is invasive and samples only parts of the prostate with the possibility of missing the cancer's multiple locations within the gland, say researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY, USA).

The 90 patients in their study underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MRSI before undergoing a radical prostatectomy to remove the entire gland. Of 170 specimens with biopsy-proven prostate cancer, MRSI detected cancer in 115 (68%), including all 11 tumors determined by the Gleason score to be especially aggressive. The 55 samples in which MRSI did not detect cancer were determined to be less aggressive by the Gleason score.

"The MRSI technique is more sensitive in higher-grade tumors than lower-grade tumors,” said Kristen L. Sakian, Ph.D., assistant attending physician at MSKCC and lead investigator of the study. The study results were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, IL (USA).






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