Personalised prostate MRI: tailoring contrast medium use in an era of increasing demand
摘要
Prostate MRI has an established role in early diagnosis, staging, and active surveillance of prostate cancer (PCa), and its demand continues to rise. Moreover, the growing use of active surveillance for patients with low-risk and favourable intermediate-risk prostate cancer, along with ongoing research into MRI-based screening, is expected to further increase the need for MRI follow-up. Routine use of bi-parametric MRI and more selective, evidence-based administration of gadolinium contrast agents may help reduce the growing strain on MRI services. This special report explores scenarios in which contrast enhancement can improve diagnostic confidence, as well as situations where it may be safely omitted. It also examines the potential of on-table monitoring to guide patient-specific contrast administration, highlighting recent evidence suggesting this approach could reduce contrast use in three out of four men without compromising cancer detection or biopsy rates. Finally, the report outlines future research directions aimed at optimising scan times and contrast use in prostate cancer MRI.
Key Points