Imaging of prostate cancer

Purpose of review Appropriate imaging of prostate cancer is a crucial component of staging and therapy application. The purpose of this review is to highlight the most important developments in novel imaging modalities reported in the past year. Recent findings Transirectal ultrasound is used to guide needle biopsy and brachytherapy. Improved results are obtained with color and power Doppler transrectal ultrasound with sonographic contrast agents. The role of elastography in prostate cancer remains to be elucidated. Magnetic resonance imaging is now widely used for staging before treatment and accumulating data indicate the utility of this technique with magnetic resonance spectroscopy in staging and follow-up. Positron-emission tomography alone or especially in combination with computed tomography imaging with the new radiotracers C-11-choline, F-18-fluorocholine, C-11-acetate and F-18-fluoride have shown promising results. Further investigations in larger clinical studies are necessary to establish the role of these imaging techniques in the management of patients with prostate cancer. Summary This report provides a summary of novel types of imaging and indicates their promise in prostate cancer.