MRI of prostate cancer: Diagnosis, staging and treatment of prostate cancer

Introduction The clinical problems: Prostate cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in American men. The American cancer society estimates that in 2003, 220,900 new cases for prostate cancer will have been identified [1]. With the increase in the number of older people in the US (the baby-boomers), it is estimated that 450,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2015 the US [2]. The lifetime risk of disease is 16.6% for Caucasian and 18.1% for African-Americans and a lifetime risk of death of 3.5% and 4.3% respectively. The age-adjusted mortality rose an estimated 39% from 1985 to 1997. Combined with an aging population, these factors have made prostate cancer a major medical and socioeconomic problem. Prostate cancer remains the key disease for which this imaging is used. The incidence of prostate cancer is high with approx 230,000 men to be diagnosed in the US this year. With the aging of the baby boomers, that number is estimated to increase to over 450,000 by the year 2015. The other important fact about prostate cancer is that only approx 4-8% of men with the disease, will actually die of it. It is often thought to be a “normal” cancer of aging, as it is estimated that 80% of men who are 80 years of age will have it.