Regional One Health has begun using a new technology for early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The UroNav fusion biopsy procedure is a fusion of multi-parametric prostate MRI images and ultrasound that allows the urologist to do targeted MRI fusion biopsies. The patient first undergoes a prostate multi-parametric MRI, which is reviewed by a radiologist trained in prostate MRI.
The radiologist identifies, marks, and then assigns a PI-RADS score from 1 to 5 to the suspicious lesions. Then in the urology office, those MRI images are overlaid with the prostate ultrasound images to give a more detailed view and guide the biopsy needle with much more precision than was available in the past.
The technology aids in the diagnosis of prostate tumors that previously were missed by the standard prostate biopsy technique because the tumors could not be seen. Previously the prostate biopsy procedure was just a random sampling of the peripheral zones of the prostate in hopes of identifying prostate cancer that could not be seen by ultrasound.
The new procedure is being performed by Robert Wake, MD, urologist with UT Regional One Physicians and Chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Wake is a respected leader in the field of urology and has a special interest in the treatment and research of prostate cancer and its complications.
“Popular methods of prostate cancer screening can be inconclusive, leading to uncertainties for the patient” said Dr. Wake. “These targeted prostate biopsies should improve the detection of clinically significant disease and decrease the detection of indolent disease, thereby decreasing the risks of over-detection and over-treatment of prostate cancer. Because of this, the MRI fusion targeted biopsy procedure is poised to become the new standard in prostate care.
“This approach is of great value to men with worrisome PSA levels. The images we capture help determine if a biopsy is even needed, and it if is, we are able to perform smarter biopsies based on the MRI fusion technique. It can avoid unnecessary biopsies as well as be used for monitoring patients who choose active surveillance.”