Imaging of prostate cancer

The role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer is reviewed. Transrectal ultrasonography, which can be used to guide biopsy, is the most frequently used imaging technique in cancer detection. For determining the extent of disease, CT and MR imaging are the most commonly used modalities; bone scintigraphy and positron emission tomography have roles only in advanced disease. Currently, the role of imaging in prostate cancer is evolving to improve disease detection and staging, to determine the aggressiveness of disease, and to predict outcomes in different patient populations.