Major study shows prostate MRI reveals more cancers which need treatment, and reduces overdiagnosis compared to standard biopsy
A large international study has shown that an MRI scan can reduce the number of invasive prostate biopsies by up to 28%. The PRECISION1 trial shows that using MRI to target prostate biopsies leads to more of the harmful prostate cancers, and fewer harmless cancers being diagnosed. Given that more than a million men in Europe undergo a prostate biopsy every year, the authors believe that this work could change clinical practice. The results are presented today at the European Association of Urology Congress in Copenhagen, with simultaneous publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.
MR imaging clarifies ambiguous mammography results
A study of around 300 volunteers, conducted in Austria by MedUni Vienna in collaboration with Diagnostic Graz, convincingly shows that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the best choice for clarifying ambiguous mammography results.
New study reveals late spread of breast cancer and backs key role of early diagnosis
Breast cancer cells that spread to other parts of the body break off and leave the primary tumour at late stages of disease development, scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have found.
Low doses of radiation could harm cardiovascular health, study suggests
Ionizing radiation, such as x-rays, has a harmful effect on the cardiovascular system even at doses equivalent to recurrent CT imaging, a new study published in the International Journal of Radiation Biology suggests.
Predicting people's 'brain age' could help to spot who is at risk of early death
A method for predicting someone’s ‘brain age’ based on MRI scans could help to spot who might be at increased risk of poor health and even dying at a younger age.
MRI use may “change the equation” for prostate cancer screening
Screening for prostate cancer is controversial. It can save lives, but it can also lead to unnecessary diagnoses, followed by surgical or radiation procedures, which themselves may lead to severe side-effects. Now a new study, coming from the Dutch part of the European Randomised study for the Screening of Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) has found that MRI-based screening can reduce overdiagnosis by 50% and reduce unnecessary biopsies by 70%, potentially changing the equation for prostate cancer screening. This work, the first to confirm that the use of MRI in a population-based screening setting may be viable, and was presented at the EAU conference in London.
