Multiparametric MRI Shown Effective in Monitoring Prostate Changes After Focal Laser Ablation

Leesburg, VA, July 24, 2018—Multiparametric MRI can reveal postablation changes in the prostate and can be a valuable tool for monitoring patients who have undergone MRI-guided focal laser ablation (FLA), according to an article in the September 2018 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

The study authors, led by David Richard Hansberry of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, found that about 2.5 percent of online lung cancer screening materials adhere to the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health and the American Medical Association. These guidelines recommend that patient education materials are written at a third-grade to seventh-grade level.

The study authors, led by Charles Westin of the University of Chicago’s Department of Radiology, evaluated 27 patients with clinical category T1c or T2a prostate cancer. The median patient age was 62 years old. Each patient underwent MRI before and immediately after the MRI-guided FLA.

The results showed that contrast-enhanced MR images obtained immediately after ablation uniformly showed a hypovascular defect in the ablation zone.

Postablation changes typically evolved to an area of focal scarring on the follow-up study performed at 12 months after ablation and were most prominent on T2-weighted MR images. Residual cancer has MRI characteristics similar to those of treatment-naive prostate cancer and can be detected on multiparametric MRI.

Accurate knowledge of the common imaging appearance of the postablation prostate as well as recurrent disease is essential for making informed clinical management decisions, the authors noted.


Founded in 1900, ARRS is the first and oldest radiology society in the United States, and is an international forum for progress in radiology. The Society's mission is to improve health through a community committed to advancing knowledge and skills in radiology. ARRS achieves its mission through an annual scientific and educational meeting, publication of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) and InPractice magazine, topical symposia and webinars, and print and online educational materials. ARRS is located in Leesburg, VA.