New prostate scan could prevent 90% of unnecessary biopsies

A new imaging technique could potentially help thousands of men avoid invasive tests to check if they have prostate cancer, according to Movember-funded research.

The INNOVATE study published in the journal Radiology found a new type of MRI scan could help doctors rule out prostate cancer more accurately, potentially saving thousands of men from undergoing unnecessary biopsies.

Using the VERDICT MRI scan alongside standard imaging techniques was found to be significantly better at identifying men who do not have prostate cancer, according to researchers at University College London.

The results of the study, funded by Movember along with Prostate Cancer UK, means thousands of men could safely avoid having a biopsy to test for prostate cancer.

Biopsies carry a certain risk, so the finding could be significant for future practice in the NHS.

Professor Shonit Punwani, lead investigator of the trial at University College London, said: "These results show that VERDICT could allow men to know, with confidence, that they do not have prostate cancer and do not need a biopsy. If the new technique is deployed it could potentially reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies by 90%.

"This new technique requires no new equipment - it can be done on MRI scanners already in use and should eventually be possible on all standard 3T scanners, so would be relatively easy to roll out into clinical practice across the UK.”

Professor Mark Emberton, Dean of UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences, said: “This study shows that we are at the beginning of the journey in terms of what MRI can do in order to characterise prostate cancer in a non-invasive manner. It does raise the tantalising prospect of reducing our dependency on prostate biopsy in the future.”

The INNOVATE trial was funded as part of Movember and Prostate Cancer UK scheme designed to take early-stage research and bring it closer to clinical practice. As a result, the trial has gone from being used in 8 men when this trial was funded, to over 300 men in this study alone.

Dr Sarah Hsiao, Director Biomedical Research and Impact at Movember, said: “It’s yet another win for Movember’s longstanding partnership with PCUK, which has seen us fund over 90 grants together since 2012. Today’s exciting results show that we are now seeing those grants make real improvements for men with prostate cancer.”