Loyola now offering combined MRI/ultrasound imaging for prostate cancer detection
Loyola now offering combined MRI/ultrasound imaging for prostate cancer detection
Loyola is the first in Illinois to have a prostate imaging system that combines ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, which allows for a more accurate picture during biopsies. In the past, physicians had only ultrasound images to help guide them during the course of a biopsy, but lesions are difficult to detect with this approach. Urologic oncologist Gopal Gupta, MD, and MRI Medical Director Ari Goldberg, MD, explain the advantages of using the combined MRI/ultrasound system. The technology fuses images from MRI with ultrasound to create a detailed, three-dimensional view of the prostate, providing a more accurate image during the biopsy. Without it, it can be easy to miss the smaller lesions, even when the physician would superimpose a grid image to take numerous samples every few millimeters. With this system, doctors can more easily detect prostate cancer and decide the best course of treatment. It also reduces the number of biopsies the patient may need and thus decreases their discomfort.
