Imaging tools may help address challenging clinical dilemma of prostate cancer care: Study

Data Addresses the Central Challenge in Prostate Cancer Care as Identified by March 4 Congressional Hearing and Highlights Need for Further Research

New preliminary data from a pilot study in the Netherlands indicates that imaging tools may help address the most challenging clinical dilemma of prostate cancer care as identified by the hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and its expert witnesses last week: to treat or not treat, AdMeTech Foundation's President and CEO Dr. Faina Shtern said today.

The preliminary study, done by a world-leading team of researchers led by Dr. Jelle Barentsz, Professor of Radiology and Chair of Research at Radboud University, demonstrated a high discriminatory performance of the novel MRI methodology (Diffusion-Weighted Imaging) in separating aggressive prostate cancer that must be treated from harmless disease conditions that don't require treatment. The study of 51 patients will be released at the European Congress of Radiology on March 10.

"Today's MR imaging is getting more precise every day in defining cancer anatomy. In addition, functional MR techniques like Diffusion Weighted Imaging, Dynamic Contrast Enhancement, Spectroscopy, and cell specific agents (e.g., Combidex) have shown to result in improved detection of aggressive cancer," said Dr. Barentsz. "These imaging techniques visualize aggressive prostate cancer -- together with its location and extent, making it possible to guide precision biopsy and to administer 'patient-tailored therapy.' The individualized treatment is expected to improve outcomes, reduce morbidity and save costs. Further research in this area is of utmost importance," added Dr. Barentsz, co-leader of AdMeTech's International Prostate MRI Working Group, a research program headed by Dr. Shtern and funded through a peer review process by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center of the Department of Defense. In the most recent meeting of the Group, other leading physicians and scientists from the United States and Europe highlighted Diffusion-Weighted MRI as one of the most promising emerging imaging tools for guidance of early diagnosis, biopsy and treatment.

"This emerging data give us great hope for ending blind patient care and the related staggering extent of overdiagnosis and overtreatment associated with current screening tools, such as blood test PSA and digital rectal exams. The data also shows the need for private and public funding of a larger scale, definitive studies on the clinical value and cost-effectiveness of imaging technologies such as MRI and their potential to eliminate unnecessary procedures and to select the most effective and the least invasive patient care," said Dr. Shtern.

She emphasized that while early detection is critical to cure prostate cancer and to save lives, poor specificity of current diagnostics causes up to 54 percent of men with early prostate cancer to have unnecessary treatment, which has dire societal and human costs.

Dr. Shtern added, "Improved diagnostic tools, which will correctly identify patients who require treatment and those who do not, will save lives and improve the quality of life in millions of men while saving billions of dollars in health care costs."