Press Release: Clinical Trial Shows that MRI may have Groundbreaking Impact on Prostate Cancer Care

AdMeTech Foundation to unveil the results of a clinical MRI trial at the First Global Summit on Precision Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer.

According to the study team, MRI and its Prostate Imaging Reporting Radiologic System version 2 (PI-RADS^TM v2) standardization can address fundamental problems in prostate cancer care by improving early detection of life-threatening prostate cancer and reducing many unnecessary and failed procedures that cause complications, decrease quality of life in millions of men and add billions to health care costs.

This trial shows that MRI and PI-RADS v2 can improve detection of aggressive, life-threatening prostate cancer nearly five times compared to standard diagnostics, such as trans-rectal ultrasound biopsy (TRUS biopsy). The clinical trial also demonstrates that MRI and PI-RADS v2 can proportionately reduce surgery for slow-growing, low-risk prostate cancer, which is unlikely to cause symptoms in a man’s lifetime.

The study included 366 men aged 40 to 80 years, who had standard clinical diagnostics and underwent radical surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) between 2008 and 2014. Two study groups included 190 men who had MRI and a control cohort of 176 individuals who did not.

This effort is a part of the AdMeTech’s Manogram Project, modeled after the advancement of breast cancer imaging and related standardization, which transformed women’s health.

“I am grateful to the Massachusetts Legislature and our outstanding research team for making this clinical trial possible,” said Dr. Faina Shtern, President and CEO of AdMeTech Foundation, who is a Principal Investigator of the clinical trial. “These results are very promising and reflect the world-leading technology and patient care at BWH. A prospective trial is required to determine if these findings can be reproduced in other clinical centers.”

The study included 366 men aged 40 to 80 years, who had standard clinical diagnostics and underwent radical surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) between 2008 and 2014. Two study groups included 190 men who had MRI and a control cohort of 176 individuals who did not.

Dr. Shtern, together with Drs.Tempany, Fennessy, Harisinghani and Kibel, will present the study results in three scientific posters at the First Global Summit on Precision Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer.

“Our study shows that MRI and PI-RADS v2 can improve selection of optimal candidates for surgical treatment and assist in the selection of optimal candidates for active surveillance, improving on data from TRUS biopsies,” said Dr. Tempany. “As one of the long-term members of the International Prostate MRI Working Group, I am pleased to be working with AdMeTech Foundation on this important research and to present our results at the First Global Summit on Precision Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer.”

“Improved early detection of aggressive prostate cancer, coupled with reduced surgery for low-risk disease, would improve quality of life for millions of American men and reduce health care costs,” said Dr. Kibel. “These study results show that MRI can alter patient management strategy and enable us to make an important step towards achieving this goal. The upcoming Summit will review MRI and many other emerging precision diagnostics and help us develop optimal strategies for bringing these promising technologies from laboratories to patients.”

Kicking off today in Boston, this Summit is organized by AdMeTech Foundation in cooperation with Drs. Tempany and Kibel, and the Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition (MPCC). The goal of this event is to educate key stakeholders about the state-of-the-art and emerging advances in prostate diagnostics, and their transformational impact on precision care, including personalized approaches to screening, early detection and treatment. For the first time, this Summit will bring together world authorities in the development, research and clinical implementation of biomarkers, imaging, genetics, genomics and other precision diagnostics, in order to bridge the existing inter-disciplinary gaps, develop consensus-based vision for the future of precision care and strategy for its realization.

AdMeTech’s Global Summit is the first in a series of educational and awareness events held throughout September, a National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. These events are an integral part of a multi-faceted statewide prostate cancer research, education and awareness program supported by the state’s legislature and led in cooperation with key medical experts and other stakeholders of the Prostate Cancer Action Council, including American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Center for Elimination of Health and Social Inequities and Disparities, MPCC, New England Area Conference and Springfield Branch of NAACP, and Men of Color Health Awareness program. The campaign is focused on men at high risk of prostate cancer and seeks to save lives, improve quality of life, and reduce health care disparities and costs.

About AdMeTech Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Boston, MA, AdMeTech Foundation established the Manogram® Project, providing international leadership for groundbreaking programs in research, education and awareness to expedite advancement of diagnostic tools akin to life-saving mammograms for improving screening, early detection and treatment of prostate cancer (www.admetech.org).