Reducing the duration of MRI scans for prostate cancer by a third would make them cheaper and more accessible without reducing their accuracy. That’s the main finding of a British trial that suggests lowering costs could mean more men are offered scans.
According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 52,300 new cases of prostate cancer in Britain every year, which equates to more than 140 every day.
Currently, doctors offer patients with suspected prostate cancer a three-stage MRI scan, with the patient being injected with a contrast dye in the third stage: this helps improve the images of the scan.
As part of a trial entitled Prime, involving 555 patients from 22 hospitals in 12 countries, researchers from University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals assessed the impact of scrapping the third phase. They found that specialists were able to diagnose 29% of prostate cancers using the shorter scan – the same percentage as with three-step scans.
Dr. Clare Allen, lead radiologist on the study, said the results, presented at the European Association of Urology conference in Paris last week, show that significant prostate cancers are unlikely to be missed in the absence of a contrast scan. “The scans will be faster, cheaper and can be offered to more men,” she said, “although it is crucial to emphasize that the elimination of the third part of the MRI scan depends on whether the first two parts of the scan are of high quality. .”
The research found that a two-phase MRI could also be almost 50% cheaper: a three-phase MRI costs an average of £273, while a two-phase scan costs £145. Matthew Hobbs, research director at Prostate Cancer UK, which co-funded the trial with the John Black Charitable Foundation, said the results mean men can now get faster scans that don’t require an injection and are cheaper. “This will allow more men to benefit from better, more accurate diagnosis at a lower cost to healthcare systems, not just in the UK, but globally.”