UK ultrasound method diagnoses prostate cancer better than MRI, biopsy

Researchers from Dundee University in Scotland have developed a new ultrasound method that may improve diagnosis and treatment options for prostate cancer, according to an April23 article by BBC News.  

Rooted in non-invasive shear wave elastography, researchers told BBC that the new ultrasound method may potentially replace standard treatments for prostate cancer (including PSA blood tests, digital rectal examinations, MRI and biopsy) by offering greater accuracy and reliability.  

According to BBC, the process was able to detect 89 percent of prostate cancers in a study cohort of 200 patients. Moreover, researchers hope it will eventually identify aggressive cancers and those beginning to spread throughout the body. The study was funded by Prostate Cancer UK and the Movember Foundation, according to the article.  

"We can now see with much greater accuracy what tissue is cancerous, where it is and what level of treatment it needs," said Ghulam Nabi, MD, PhD, a professor of surgical uro-oncology at Dundee University. "The new treatment was like someone has turned the lights on in a darkened room." 

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A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.

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