Opportunities for multiparametric MRI with PI-RADS v2 to make a difference

The clinical application of multiparametric (mp) MRI for diseases of the prostate dates back to the 1990s and has had a long and challenging history [1]. Now in 2016 it has finally become well accepted in the oncology communities that mpMRI plays an important role for many different clinical applications in men with, or suspected of having prostate cancer. Many of the articles in this exciting special focus issue will describe the multiple roles and applications of prostate MRI and these aspects in detail. There are new expanding roles in development for mpMRI in prostate cancer screening and detection prior to biopsy. This offers a unique possibility to fundamentally change the approach detection and diagnosis of this disease. Also importantly, there are now new economic reviews, cost modeling and effectiveness studies from the UK and Europe which demonstrate evidence of the positive gain in men’s health and healthcare spending by saving money through avoidance of unnecessary biopsies and treatments [2,3].

Click here to view the full article in Future Oncology.