Prostate cancer: diagnosis, staging and post-treatment follow-up with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques

• Grant number: 08/08332-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Valdair Francisco Muglia
• Grantee: Valdair Francisco Muglia
• Host Investigator: Fergus Vincent Coakley
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), United States

Abstract

The cancer of the prostate is a medical problem around the world. Imaging is used according to patient’s requirements, respecting their indications. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most promising imaging method for evaluation of prostate cancer and is used in detection, characterization and staging. The characterization of cancer depends on a combination of morphologic criteria, observed before the contrast, especially in T2 weighted images and after the injection of paramagnetic contrast, with T1-weighted images. The quantitative techniques may improve the accuracy of MRI, adding objective criteria to standard morphocinetics ones. The most used quantitative techniques in prostate are protons spectroscopy and diffusion. The technique of Magnetization Transfer (MT) is another quantitative MRI technique widely used in neuroimaging. Until recently, the use of MT outside Central Nervous System was quite rare. It was restricted to improved conspicuity of structures in post-contrast images. Recently, the technique of MT was described as having the potential to differentiate benign from malignant in breast lesions. The goal of this project is to assess the impact of various quantitative techniques in diagnosis, staging and follow-up of patients with prostate cancer. (AU)