MRI for prostate cancer can reveal extent of its spread
By DR. KOMOROFF Universal Uclick on Aug 28, 2013, at 2:21 AM Updated on 8/28/13 at 3:01 AM
Health & Fitness
Dear Doctor K: I have hypertension. Should I be monitoring my blood pressure at home?
Dear Doctor K: After my last mammogram, the doctor told me I have dense breasts. Does this increase my risk of cancer?
Dear Doctor K: I recently had a prostate biopsy and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Now my doctor wants to do an MRI. Why?
Dear Reader: The biopsy doesn't tell you how bad the cancer is and what kind of treatment you should receive. Once you've been diagnosed, decisions about your treatment will depend on the stage of your cancer.
Ultrasound imaging tests have traditionally been used to determine how much of the prostate gland is filled with cancer, and whether the cancer has spread to the tissues next to the prostate. A newer kind of MRI called endorectal may give a clearer picture than ultrasound of the local spread of prostate cancer. This new MRI is not widely available, but it may be available to your doctor.
Bone scans can determine if prostate cancer has spread through the blood to bones. MRI scans of the bones are another technique for detecting the spread of cancer.
The pictures produced by the MRI will tell your doctor whether and to what extent your cancer has spread to surrounding tissue, lymph nodes and other parts of your body. Your doctor will use these details along with other information to predict how aggressive your tumor is and what treatment will be best.
Many new techniques are under development to improve the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. New types of blood tests can spot prostate cancer cells that have escaped from the prostate gland and are circulating in the blood and threatening to lodge in bones. Biopsy specimens are being studied to see what genes are turned on and off in the cancerous tissue. These "gene expression" patterns are likely to point to the best treatment.
Finally, new MRI imaging techniques are in development. For example, doctors may inject a contrast agent and the cancerous tissue appears brighter than non-cancerous tissue, making it easier to identify and treat.
Write Dr. K at
www.AskDoctorK.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106
Health & Fitness
Dear Doctor K: I have hypertension. Should I be monitoring my blood pressure at home?
Dear Doctor K: After my last mammogram, the doctor told me I have dense breasts. Does this increase my risk of cancer?
