Could Biparametric MRI Replace Multiparametric MRI in the Management of Prostate Cancer?

Simple Summary Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common types of tumors among men, being potentially curable when diagnosed in early phases. With all this, this type of cancer does not have any specific symptoms until it advances. Therefore, it is vital to diagnose it as soon as possible. This study aims to determine the role of biparametric MRI (bpMRI) in PCa management, compared to today's most used imaging method-multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). There were 31 relevant articles in the field studied to find the advantages and disadvantages of bpMRI. The results show that bpMRI can mostly be used for PCa diagnosis, but for other steps of tumor management, it is not as suitable as mpMRI, having a series of disadvantages. In conclusion, bpMRI has similar accuracy as mpMRI in the diagnosis of PCa. These findings will be useful in the field of PCa management, because, if bpMRI replaces mpMRI at least in diagnosis, the costs for this imaging method will be lower, and patients will be less likely to develop allergic reactions to contrast agents, as bpMRI does not use any. Prostate cancer (PCa) is a worldwide epidemiological problem, since it is one of the most prevalent types of neoplasia among men, and the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, after lung and colorectal tumors. Unfortunately, the early stages of PCa have a wide range of unspecific symptoms. For these reasons, early diagnosis and accurate evaluation of suspicious lesions are crucial. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is currently the imaging modality of choice for diagnostic screening and local staging of PCa, but also has a leading role in guiding biopsies and in treatment biparametric MRI (bpMRI) could partially replace mpMRI due to its lack of adverse reactions caused by contrast agents, relatively lower costs, and shorter acquisition time. Further, 31 relevant articles regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the aforementioned imaging techniques were scanned. As a result, while bpMRI has comparable accuracy in detecting PCa, its roles in the other steps of PCa management are limited.

Automated summary

This study compares the role of biparametric MRI (bpMRI) to multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) in the management of prostate cancer (PCa). The results show that bpMRI has similar accuracy as mpMRI in PCa diagnosis, but is less suitable for other steps of tumor management, with several disadvantages.