An Update on the Role of mpMRI and ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET Imaging in Primary and Recurrent Prostate Cancer

The objective of this work was to review comparisons of the efficacy of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 (prostate-specific membrane antigen) PET/CT and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in the detection of prostate cancer among patients undergoing initial staging prior to radical prostatectomy or experiencing recurrent prostate cancer, based on histopathological data. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science, and relevant articles were analyzed with various parameters, including year of publication, study design, patient count, age, PSA (prostate-specific antigen) value, Gleason score, standardized uptake value (SUV_max), detection rate, treatment history, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and PI-RADS (prostate imaging reporting and data system) scores. Only studies directly comparing PSMA-PET and mpMRI were considered, while those examining combined accuracy or focusing on either modality alone were excluded. In total, 24 studies comprising 1717 patients were analyzed, with the most common indication for screening being staging, followed by relapse. The findings indicated that ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-PET/CT effectively diagnosed prostate cancer in patients with suspected or confirmed disease, and both methods exhibited comparable efficacy in identifying lesion-specific information. However, notable heterogeneity was observed, highlighting the necessity for standardization of imaging and histopathology systems to mitigate inter-study variability. Future research should prioritize evaluating the combined diagnostic performance of both modalities to enhance sensitivity and reduce unnecessary biopsies. Overall, the utilization of PSMA-PET and mpMRI in combination holds substantial potential for significantly advancing the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer.