An advanced technology to more accurately diagnose prostate cancer has been introduced at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus (MMCSC).
MRI ultrasound fusion biopsy is a new method to test suspected prostate tumors by fusing MRI images of the prostate with ultrasound images. This approach offers a direct, guided approach to suspicious lesions on the prostate, resulting in more accurate results.
“Combining MRI and ultrasound technology allows physicians to better determine the stages of prostate cancer and whether a certain case is high or low-risk,” says Mukaram Gazi, MD, FACS, Chief of Urology at MMCSC. “Having access to such clear-cut data yields better treatment options for patients since physicians can be more certain whether a case will call for a watch-and-wait approach, surgical intervention, or radiation therapy.”
In the past, finding the exact location of cancer in the prostate has been challenging, according to Dr. Gazi, who says that while the traditional approach involved ultrasound, it was without the enhanced visualization offered by the MRI fusion technology. This technology offers cutting-edge visualization and prostate cancer detection, he said.
“I find the easiest way to explain this approach is to compare it to using a GPS rather than road signs,” Dr. Gazi said. “Both options are going to get you to your destination but the GPS will get you there quicker and more efficiently. In the past, specific lesions weren’t always captured by ultrasound alone. Now, being able to overlay the MRI image with the ultrasound, we’ll know exactly what we’re looking for and where to find it.”
The ideal patients for a MRI fusion biopsy at MMCSC would be men with elevated or rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or those who have a clinical concern for prostate cancer, stated Kiritkumar Pandya, MD, Urologist and President of the MMCSC Medical Staff. This includes men who may have had a previous negative biopsy result, an abnormal rectal exam, or have been diagnosed with prostate cancer but have been given a watch-and-wait treatment plan.
“We are proud to introduce this state-of-the-art technology to Ocean County,” said Frank J. Vozos, MD, FACS, Executive Vice President, RWJBarnabas Health and Chief Executive, MMCSC. “Men in our community now have access to the newest innovation in prostate cancer detection through our team of urologists at Monmouth South, proving that you don’t have to travel far to receive the most advanced prostate cancer care.”