Total MRI Imaging Helps Detect Prostate Cancer

A new approach to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can assist in the detection of prostate cancer without using an invasive endorectal probe.

Developed at Hospital San José Tec (Monterrey, Mexico), the new approach replaces the standard endorectal MRI coil with a surface coil placed on the pelvis, like a collar. By using only external body coils, the technique offers more comfort to the patient, with a reliability that appears to be comparable to the invasive approach. The new approach is available due to the high element density of Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) total imaging matrix (TIM) technology, which provides excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).


TIM represents a revolutionary addition to the traditional MRI process, using as many as 76 seamlessly integrated coil elements and 32 independent receiver channels to create a whole-body imaging matrix, supporting a total field of view of 205 cm. And while conventional metastases evaluation requires changing coils and repositioning the patient for each anatomical area of interest—head, thoracic, abdominal, pelvis, etc.—TIM simplifies the process and shortens examination times. Both the matrix coils and the patient need only be positioned once for all desired exams, as multiple channels allow a unique and almost unlimited scanning flexibility.

“The shame experienced with a rectal examination of the prostate is particularly high in the Mexican and Latin American cultures. This holds true for a simple digital prostate exam as well as for more advanced diagnostic procedures like magnetic resonance imaging with the aid of a rectal probe,” said Jorge Fernández de la Torre, MD, chief radiologist at Hospital San José Tec. “My mother died of cancer shortly after I started college. Watching her suffer really stirred up my emotions. I would like to save other people from a fate like hers.”

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that a discussion about screening should take place in men 50 years old who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years; men aged 45 at high risk of developing prostate cancer, including African-Americans and men who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65); and men aged 40 with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age. Those screened should be tested with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. A digital rectal exam (DRE) may also be done as a part of screening.

Related Links:
Hospital San José Tec
Siemens Healthcare