MRI Fusion Biopsy for Prostate Cancer - What is it and Why is it Better?
Posted December 16, 2019 by Joseph S Dankoff, MD
As one of the most common cancers among men, prostate cancer will affect about 1 in 9 men during their lifetime. In fact, more than 60% of cases are diagnosed in men over 65. The cancer has been difficult to detect in early stages using the most common, and somewhat outdated, tests and screenings. These tests and screenings have been used for three decades with adequate results. Yet, more tests are then needed to try to determine the type of cancer and the best treatment plan.
Typical prostate cancer screenings include a blood test to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal exam (DRA). If either are found to be abnormal, physicians may perform a transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy (TRUS). The problem with these tests is that they do not differentiate a life-threatening case from an early-stage, slow growing cancer. Naturally, a physician would recommend to aggressively treat a potentially lethal prostate tumor, but with no way to determine a case that is not life-threatening, a person may undergo unwarranted medical procedures.
Fortunately, a new technology is available to help the main challenges of treating prostate cancer: better detection and differentiation of type. Fusion Guided Biopsy is a type of software that allows doctors to “fuse” detailed MRI scans with live, real-time ultrasound images of the prostate by overlaying the MRI scans over the ultrasound image. This gives doctors a detailed 3-D ultrasound/MRI view.
How It Works:
A patient undergoes an MRI scan, then a radiologist reviews it and marks suspicious areas.
Then, at a later office-based procedure, an ultrasound probe is inserted into the patient, and as the probe is moved around the prostate, the fusion software shifts the overlaid MRI image with the ultrasound.
The combined image allows the doctor to better differentiate suspicious cells from healthy prostate tissue and attain a clearer view to better guide the biopsy needle to the lesion that they want to sample.
Benefits of MRI Fusion Biopsy:
- Better detection and differentiation between healthy and unhealthy tissue
- Reduction in the amount of tissue samples required
- Less painful and decreased risk of infection and bleeding
- Quicker post-biopsy recovery time
Who qualifies for an MRI Fusion Biopsy:
- You’ve had a previous negative transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy with an elevated or rising PSA
- You’ve had a positive digital rectal examination (DRE) with negative transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy
Summa Health’s urologists are committed to helping men take better care of their health, from gaining a better understanding of risk factors to guiding them toward a better overall well-being. For more information on prostate health, contact the Summa Health Urology Team at 330.374.1255 or visit summahealth.org/urology.
About the Author
Vitality eNews Sign Up
Receive the Summa Health eNewsletter for the latest health tips, advice and updates.
Related Blogs
It’s never too late to make cancer prevention your top priority.
Cancer affects 1 in 3 people in this country, according to the American Cancer Society. If you haven’t been touched by it, you likely know someone who has — a friend, family member, coworker or neighbor.
With odds like that, why not take the necessary steps to help prevent it in the first place?
While you can’t avoid all causes of cancer, you can significantly reduce your risks — while at the…
Blood plays a vital role in how our bodies function. As blood circulates the body, it’s responsible for supplying all our organs with oxygen, nutrients and antibodies to fight infection and control bleeding. Blood is essential to life.
Unfortunately, about every 3 minutes, one person in the United States is diagnosed with blood cancer, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Blood cancers account for nearly 10 percent of new cancer cases in this country every…
In many cases today, cancer has become a chronic disease, rather than a terminal disease, with people living longer and healthier lives after a diagnosis of cancer than ever before. Even more significant, more people are surviving cancer thanks to early detection and more advanced treatment options. The American Cancer Society estimates there are more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States—and growing each year. At Summa Health, we define cancer…
Not only does your body need energy to function at its best and fight off the disease, but also to repair and recover.
Eating nutritious foods is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. In fact, some recent studies have linked plant-based foods and lower cancer rates.
The primary goal of a nutrition plan…
The ovaries may be small, but they are mightily important in a female’s reproductive cycle. With each about the size and shape of an almond, the ovaries produce eggs, as well as the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
You don’t often hear about a loved one developing ovarian cancer because it’s not very common. However, it does deserve your attention, especially if you’re at high risk. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among females,…
Reviewed March 2025
Nearly 40 percent of individuals in this country will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, according to the National Cancer Institute. Breast, lung, prostate, colon and skin cancers are among the most common cancers diagnoses.
Fortunately, there are many cancer treatment options available today to cure a cancer, slow the progression or even reduce side effects from cancer — with several more being studied. Cancer treatments include…
Updated 9/18/2025
Reviewed January 2025
Nearly 40 percent of individuals in this country will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, according to the National Cancer Institute.
However, the good news is that many cancers can be found early before they have a chance to grow and spread. And, studies prove catching cancer early when it’s easier to treat improves patient outcomes.
For example, breast cancer that is found in the early stages has a 99 percent survival rate, but…
While head and neck cancers are not the most common malignancies diagnosed in the US, it affects a significant number of patients. According to the National Cancer Institute, this group of cancers occur in about 4 percent of all cancers in the country.
While more common cancers such as breast, colon and lung cancer are more known, oral, head and neck cancers can and do occur, especially in men. Additionally, the population affected by this disease has changed over the…
Reviewed March 2025
As the third leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the U.S., screening for colorectal cancer should be an important part of your routine healthcare.
Colon and rectal cancers, more commonly known as colorectal cancer, can be found early with testing before it has a chance to grow and spread. And studies prove catching it early when the cancer is easier to treat improves patient outcomes.
Just look at the survival rate for colorectal…
You’re not a smoker, so you can’t be at risk for lung cancer, right? Not so fast.
While smokers, especially cigarette smokers, make up the leading cause of lung cancer deaths, nonsmokers do get diagnosed with this deadly disease.
Lung cancer is the second most common diagnosed cancer in both men and women, and the leading cause of cancer deaths, making up almost 25 percent in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
However, despite how…
One out of every eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime; this is considered average risk for U.S. women. High risk for breast cancer is defined as a greater than or equal to 20% lifetime risk, or in other words, a one in five chance of developing breast cancer over a lifetime. We all know someone — a coworker, family member such as a mother, sister, daughter or friend — that has been diagnosed with this disease.
That’s why for…
For decades, October and the color pink have gone hand in hand to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. The universal pink ribbon represents prevention, early detection and treatment — supporting the mission to spread awareness and education.
According to breastcancer.org, breast cancer affects one in eight women, and chances are you know someone — a co-worker, a family member, a friend — who has been diagnosed. Other than skin cancer, it is the most commonly…
It can be difficult to face the idea of getting screened for prostate cancer, and many people opt out due to fear, inconvenience, or lack of knowledge of the symptoms. There is clear scientific evidence that screening with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test can help identify cancer early on which makes treatment more effective and reduces the number of deaths associated with prostate cancer.
We’ve compiled some valuable information below so that you can…
Did you know one out of every 10 men in the US will develop prostate cancer? This form is the most common cancer in men. Bladder cancer, another common cancer in the US, affects as many as 68,000 individuals every year. It’s the fourth leading cancer for men and the eleventh for women. For men ages 15 to 44, testicular cancer is the leading type of cancer. What do all of these have in common? They are cancers that form in or affect parts of the urinary tract.
Updated on May 6, 2024
Did you know skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States? If caught early, skin cancer is one of the easier cancers to treat. However, every hour of every day one American dies from melanoma, its deadliest form.
There are various treatments for melanoma, depending on the stage at which a patient is diagnosed, including: surgery to remove the affected area, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a relatively new treatment called immunotherapy.…
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer remains the #3 cancer killer in the U.S., yet it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Statistically, 1 in 22 men and 1 in 24 women will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2018 more than 140,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 50,000 of them are expected to die of this disease. Colorectal cancer screening could save more than half…