MRI findings help forecast prostate cancer prognosis

	Tweet

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients about to undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer can help predict the likelihood that the cancer will return and spread post-treatment, according to a new study published in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

“This is the first study to show that MRI detection and measurement of the spread of prostate cancer outside the capsule of the prostate is an important factor in determining outcome for men scheduled to undergo radiation therapy,” said study co-author Fergus V. Coakley, M.D., professor of radiology and urology, vice chair for clinical services and section chief of abdominal imaging in the Department of Radiology at University of California, San Francisco.

Prostate cancer forms in tissues of the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. The National Cancer Institute estimates 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2008, mostly in men over age 65. When diagnosed and treated early, the five-year survival rate for patients with prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent. However, once the cancer spreads or recurs beyond the prostate, the chance of survival drops significantly.

One common treatment for prostate cancer is external beam radiation therapy. Dr. Coakley and colleagues sought to determine if MRI findings prior to radiation therapy were an indicator of possible recurrence and spread.

The researchers retrospectively reviewed the MR images of 80 men with prostate cancer who had undergone MRI of the prostate prior to external beam radiation therapy. Details of tumor characteristics, treatment and outcome were recorded. Using a Cox regression analysis—a technique that correlates the relationship between survival of a patient and several contributing variables, the researchers determined that the presence and degree of extracapsular extension (spread of cancer beyond the membrane that surrounds the prostate gland) seen on the pre-treatment MR images was an important predictor of post-treatment recurrence and spread. Specifically, patients with extracapsular extension greater than 5 millimeters (about the diameter of a pencil eraser) were more likely to experience recurrence and spread of their cancers.

“Patients with substantial extracapsular spread of prostate cancer may wish to discuss options for more aggressive therapy with their treating physicians,” Dr. Coakley said.

###

“Prostate Cancer: Role of Pretreatment MR in Predicting Outcome after External-Beam Radiation Therapy—Initial Experience.” Collaborating with Dr. Coakley were David A. McKenna, M.B., B.Ch., Antonio C. Westphalen, M.D., Shoujun Zhao, Ph.D., Ying Lu, Ph.D., Emily M. Webb, M.D., Barby Pickett, M.Sc., Mack Roach III, M.D., and John Kurhanewicz, Ph.D. Journal attribution requested.

Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA.org/radiologyjnl)

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is an association of more than 41,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. (RSNA.org)

Contact: Linda Brooks

630-590-7762
Radiological Society of North America

RELATED STORIES:
New Study Strengthens Association of Prostate Cancer with Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam Vetera   Vitamin D protects cells from stress that can lead to cancer   Blood test indicates spread of prostate cancer   New Web site Helps Doctors and Prostate Cancer Patients Make Better Treatment Choices   Standard Treatment for Prostate Cancer May Encourage Spread of Disease   No link between alcohol and prostate cancer risk   Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus may not be associated with human prostate cancer   Obese men less likely to get biopsy after PSA screening   Genetic map of prostate cancer cracked   Laser may reduce prostate surgery’s sexual side effects   New Bcl-2 Inhibitor Shows Promise in Cell Death in Prostate Cancer   Don’t believe hype about robot prostatectomy: study   Prostate cancer patients are at increased risk of precancerous colon polyps   Closely monitoring low-risk prostate cancer, with biopsy, does not raise risk of death   Study Looks at Celebrex and Lipitor to Treat Prostate Cancer   New research could affect future treatment options for prostate cancer   Hops Compound May Prevent Prostate Cancer   Study links obesity to more agressive prostate cancer   Obesity linked to higher risk of prostate cancer progression   Annual Prostate Cancer Screening Test Appears to Save Lives   Low-income men show more high-risk prostate tumors   Prostate cancer screening improves quality of life by catching disease before it spreads

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]