Overview
Once prostate cancer is suspected, usually because of a high prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a biopsy is needed to determine if there is indeed cancer. But because of its location - deep in the pelvis - the prostate is difficult to visualize.
For decades, physicians have been using ultrasound technology and more recently added magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to try and detect cancer within the prostate. However, these images lack clear definition and biopsies, still done under ultrasound guidance, typically require 12 - 14 samples of tissues. Unfortunately, malignancies may still be missed.
Fortunately, all that is changing. New technology is available for more accurate prostate biopsies. Holy Name Medical Center's urologists and oncologists are among the first to use the UroNav fusion biopsy system to help locate cancer cells in the prostate. It is a combination of MRI and ultrasound technology that enables a reduced number and more precise tissue samples to be obtained, while yielding a higher accuracy in diagnoses.
The UroNav system is a two-step method. Patients undergo an MRI and the radiologist reading the images marks any suspicious findings. Then an ultrasound is used when the patient has a biopsy. The UroNav technology operates similar to a GPS in a car, transferring the indicated suspicious areas to the ultrasound system so the physician knows exactly what areas of the prostate to biopsy.
With the UroNav system, patients typically only need four to six tissue samples, compared to the 12 to 14 taken during the standard approach. The smaller number of tissue samples may lead to a reduced risk of infection, bleeding, pain and recovery time.
