MRI Scanning for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Prostatic cancer is one of the most Tumor related causes of death in men. This cancer forms in tissues of the prostate (a gland in the male reproductive system found below the bladder and in front of the rectum). The prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut. If the prostate grows too large, it squeezes the urethra. This may slow or stop the normal flow of urine. Prostate cancer usually occurs in older men.

Although there have been several advances in prostate cancer control over the past decade, the development that has generated many methods for detection as:

1. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
2. ProstaScintTM scan
3. Lymph node biobsy.
4. And the recent method which proved 100% accuracy “MRI“

MRI scans can be helpful in looking at prostate cancer. They can produce a very clear picture of the prostate and show whether the cancer has spread outside the prostate into the seminal vesicles or other nearby structures. This information can be very important for your doctors in planning your treatment. Although MRI is very expensive method but it is very useful in detecting early prostate cancer.

MRI has been extensively studied for its ability to detect prostate cancers. The use of endorectal coil MRI allows better visualization of prostate zonal anatomy and location and extent of tumor within the gland. Patients are imaged with both a whole body scanner with pelvic phased array coil and an endorectal coil, which consists of a magnetic coil placed directly into the rectum. T1 and T2 weighted images are obtained, but cancer visualization is generally performed on T2 weighted images where the cancer appears dark.

Finally I think MRI is the most safe way to detect early prostate cancer, and as prostatic cancer patient said “By the end of the day, you cannot but a price on the health “