Study: MRI Use in Prostate Cancer Monitoring Is Rising, But Remains Uncommon

A new study from Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD, in the Data Management and Analysis Core for Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas and colleagues found that doctors are increasingly using MRI-guided biopsies to monitor men with localized prostate cancer who choose active surveillance instead of immediate treatment. While the use of this newer approach grew between 2010 and 2019, it remained relatively uncommon overall.

Researchers analyzed Medicare data and found MRI-associated biopsies increased from less than 1% of patients in 2010-2011 to about 3% to 5% by 2018-2019, depending on cancer severity. The study also identified disparities in care: men ages 66-74 were more likely to receive MRI-associated biopsies than those 75 and older, and non-Hispanic White patients were more likely to receive them than non-Hispanic Black patients.