Disease Spotlight: Prostate Cancer

A new comparative study found the use of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) led to treatment changes in nearly 20 percent of patients with high-risk prostate cancer.

Catch up on the top AI-related news and research of the past month.

Check out the top radiology content of the past week.

In a study of nearly 18,000 men who had prostate cancer screening, researchers found the use of pre-biopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for those with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and reserving MRI-targeted biopsy for those with PI-RADS scores of 3 to 5 reduced the risk of detecting clinically insignificant cancers by half.

Catch up on the top radiology content of the past week.

The Food and Drug Administration has granted 510(k) clearance to iQuest (Avenda Health), an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that combines findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pathology reports and biopsy results to facilitate three-dimensional mapping of prostate cancer.

For patients recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, the emerging positron emission tomography (PET) agent 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 reportedly has a 96 percent specificity rate for detecting pelvic lymph node metastases, according to Phase 3 study results recently presented at the 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO).

Catch up on the top radiology content of the past week.

In what may be the first study to assess the effectiveness of biparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prostate cancer screening in a large cohort, researchers found that MRI screening had a significantly lower false positive rate and significantly higher positive predictive values (PPVs) than prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening.

New research shows that 18F-NaF PET/CT had higher sensitivity, accuracy, and negative predictive value than 99mTc-MDP SPECT for bone metastases in patients deemed to be at high risk for prostate cancer or breast cancer.

Catch up on the top radiology content of the past week.

For patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer, the acute genitourinary (GU) toxicity rate associated with the procedure was 19 percent lower with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance in comparison to computed tomography (CT) guidance, according to new research presented recently at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

In a recent video interview from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, Benjamin Lowentritt, MD discussed the challenges of conventional imaging in diagnosing prostate cancer recurrence and the potential of an emerging high affinity, radiohybrid prostate-specific membrane antigen/positron emission tomography (PSMA/PET) imaging agent.

Five weeks of radiation therapy is just as effective as eight weeks of radiation treatment for men with high-risk prostate cancer, according to new research presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

An emerging radiomics model, derived from 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET, reportedly offers a superior area under the curve (AUC) and higher sensitivity than radiologist assessment in detecting intraprostatic lesions via positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with prostate cancer.

One prospective multicenter study found the radiohybrid prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) agent 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 had an 83 percent detection rate in nearly 400 men with suspected prostate cancer.

Emerging research suggests that combining pre-biopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing more than triples the specificity rate for detecting clinically significant prostate cancer in comparison to sole reliance on a PSA level greater than or equal to 4 ng/mL.

The ProstatID, an adjunctive artificial intelligence software that radiologists can utilize with traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reportedly measures prostate gland volume, and suggests PI-RADS scoring of suspicious lesions.

A recently published prospective study comparing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and micro-ultrasound found similar detection rates for prostate cancer.

The radiopharmaceutical is already approved for use in PET imaging in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence.

Despite increased use of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in recent years for patients undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, a study found that over 70 percent of a large Medicare population with prostate cancer did not have a preoperative MRI scan as of 2015.

Could the emerging artificial intelligence platforms Saige-Dx and Quantib Prostate 2.0 improve cancer detection with mammography and prostate MRI?

In addition to segmentation of the prostate, the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled advance reportedly facilitates PI-RADS scoring by assessing the size and intensity of possible lesions.

The combination of the imaging agent Locametz and the targeted radioligand therapy Pluvicto may allow targeted treatment and mortality risk reduction in patients with prostate cancer.

Interesting questions raised by a paper that compared the use of 18F-fluciclovine with 68Ga-PSMA-11 imaging modalities to detect biochemical relapse in prostate cancer and implications for integrating newer techniques into clinical practice.

Reactions to key findings from an article by Birgit Pernthaler, et al, that compared the use of 18F-fluciclovine with 68Ga-PSMA-11 imaging modalities to detect biochemical relapse in prostate cancer.

Drs Steven Finkelstein and Louis J. Mazzarelli highlight data revealed in the article “A Prospective Head-to-Head Comparison of 18F-Fluciclovine With 68Ga-PSMA-11 in Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer in PET/CT,” by Birgit Pernthaler, et al.

Drs Steven Finkelstein and Louis J. Mazzarelli comment on limitations associated with conventional imaging modalities in prostate cancer and highlight the roles of newer tests such as 18F-fluciclovine and 68Ga-PSMA-11.

PSMA PET is highly robust in identifying prostate cancer lesions which are otherwise deemed unremarkable.