Prostate Cancer Scans Are Cheaper, Faster, And Can Help More Men

(CTN News) – Reducing the duration of MRI scans for prostate cancer by a third would make them more affordable and accessible without reducing their accuracy.

The main result of a UK trial indicates that lowering costs might increase the number of men eligible for scans.

Cancer Research UK estimates there are 52,300 new prostate cancer cases each year in the United Kingdom, which is more than 140 cases per day.

Currently, doctors perform three-stage MRI scans for patients suspected of having prostate cancer, in which contrast dye is injected at the third stage. This enhances the images displayed on the MRI scan.

University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals researchers assessed the impact of dropping the third stage in a trial called Prime that involved 555 patients from 22 hospitals in 12 countries.

The researchers found that the shorter scan was able to diagnose 29% of prostate cancers – the same percentage as the three-step scan.

In her presentation at the European Association of Urology conference in Paris last week, lead radiologist Dr. Clare Allen stated that significant prostate cancers would not be missed in the absence of a contrast scan.

According to her, the scans will be faster, cheaper, and more accessible to more men, but it should be noted that dropping the third part of the MRI scan is contingent upon the first two parts being of high quality.

An MRI with two phases was also found to be almost 50% less expensive than a three-phase scan: a three-phase scan costs on average £273, while a two-phase scan costs £145.

According to Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, which co-funded the trial with the John Black Charitable Foundation, the results mean that men can now obtain cheaper, more rapid scans that do not require an injection.

More men will be able to receive a better, more accurate diagnosis at a lower cost to healthcare systems not only in the UK, but around the globe as well.

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