The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the management of prostate cancer

In the current era, the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become routine for the evaluation and management of prostate cancer (PCa), with most patients undergoing a 1.5-T MRI. There is a direct relationship between magnet strength and spatial resolution of the image: the higher the magnet, the higher the spatial resolution. In a 3-T MRI, a phased array pelvic coil is used instead of an endorectal coil, which could decrease patient refusal to undergo MR imaging due to avoidance of the discomfort associated with an endorectal coil. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has become the gold standard in PCa scanning and is more reliable than T2-weighted (T2W) MRI alone [1]. The T2-weighted MRI sequence has a lower specificity due to a high frequency of low signal intensity foci, which causes false positives. In standard practice, multiparametric imaging modalities are based on the combination of T2-weighted (T2W-MRI), dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE-MRI), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DW-MRI) to improve detection, location, and characterization of PCa. Due to its time-consuming nature, another technique known as MR spectroscopy (MRSI) is likely to be restricted for scientific purposes.