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Updated: Feb 21, 2026
Use of MRI-ultrasound Fusion to Achieve Targeted Prostate Biopsy
Published on: April 9, 2019
Molecular imaging and fusion targeted biopsy of the prostate
Baowei Fei1,2,3, Peter T Nieh4, Viraj A Master4
1Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1841 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
Purpose:
This paper provides a review on molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prostate cancer detection and its applications in fusion targeted biopsy of the prostate.
Methods:
Literature search was performed through the PubMed database using the keywords "prostate cancer", "MRI/ultrasound fusion", "molecular imaging", and "targeted biopsy". Estimates in autopsy studies indicate that 50% of men older than 50 years of age have prostate cancer. Systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy is considered the standard method for prostate cancer detection and has a significant sampling error and a low sensitivity. Molecular imaging technology and new biopsy approaches are emerging to improve the detection of prostate cancer.
Results:
Molecular imaging with PET and MRI shows promising results in the early detection of prostate cancer. MRI/TRUS fusion targeted biopsy has become a new clinical standard for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. PET molecular image-directed, three-dimensional ultrasound-guided biopsy is a new technology that has great potential for improving prostate cancer detection rate and for distinguishing aggressive prostate cancer from indolent disease.
Conclusion:
Molecular imaging and fusion targeted biopsy are active research areas in prostate cancer research.
