Did you know that you can take an active role in managing your care? Consider beginning with utilizing the best technologies available. Insist on a non-contrast, low cost, MRI with AI-assisted interpretation by ProstatID™ PRIOR to agreeing to any biopsy because ProstatID™ better detects true cancers and reduces false positives, saving you time, expense, and avoidance of unnecessary procedures.
Prostate Care is rapidly evolving and improving. The use of MRI is quickly changing the standard of care with an increasing number of urologists seeking MRI before they decide to biopsy in lieu of taking a standard 12-core biopsy first. And, more importantly, you may not need a biopsy, and you certainly want to avoid it if not needed as the experience and side effects are not pleasant. With the help of AI such as ProstatID, MRI is proving to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies performed on false indications. Additionally, ProstatID has proven in clinical studies to not only reduce the number of false positives but also increase the number of early cancer detections. On the other hand, if a detection is presented, then the AI output provides the interventionalist with an excellent means of targeting the suspect tumor.
Benefit from using Artificial Intelligence
You can benefit from using Artificial Intelligence significantly aiding prostate cancer detection and diagnosis.
Learn about ProstatID does just that.
Empowering both patient and physician alike.
Provide patients with more information, easily visualized in 2D and 3D thus increasing personal involvement in care choices.
There is nothing more welcome by a patient than receiving a clean bill of health such as the patient did with this ProstatID report – Green is Good = Normal!
This patient presented with many of the symptoms of prostate cancer: frequent urination, incomplete voiding and lower back pain but these symptoms were not cancer but caused by an enlarged prostate with significant BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia), of which there are numerous non-threatening treatments.
How ProstatID Works
Scan
Technologist performs standard screening or diagnostic MRI sequences and pushes the study to their PACs with is Standard Operating Procedure. In parallel, they push the study to the Platform partner of cloud service provider.
Detect
ProstatID automatically detects study, sorts for necessary sequences, checks quality, performs the detection and diagnosis and returns an appended series to the unique patient ID with results and report to view in less than 5 minutes typically = real-time diagnosis.
Diagnose
This new series and report are appended to the study so that the radiologist sees it along with all others on his/her viewing station; hence, no additional effort, equipment or work to perform.
Treat or
Don’t Treat
ProstatID assists physicians with treatment planning by providing an entire view of the organ highlighting all suspicious lesions with their individual risk scores. Additionally, if lesion(s) are graded as high risk, they are presented in two powerful 3D views within a transparent rendition of the prostate gland giving interventionalists ideal cognitive targeting.
With changes in technology occurring rapidly and often, it is challenging for physicians to keep up. Therefore, ask your PCP, radiologist or urologist about using the ProstatID AI for your MRI study and ask them to refer to this website for more information if they have not heard of it and for more information.
Talk to your doctor about Bot Image™'s ProstatID and how it can significantly improve your diagnosis and treatment planning.
You can and should insist on receiving the best quality of care so you are encourage to seek other options to cancer diagnosis with MRI and AI as well as more informed treatment planning and state-of-the-art tools and expert physicians. Learn about our Prostate Centers of Excellence and Concierge Medicine Coalition HERE:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can patients choose which detection method they prefer for prostate cancer screening?
Yes, patients can and should own their own healthcare plan; however, insurance often dictates what methods and procedures they will pay for.
Is active surveillance a viable option for detecting and monitoring prostate cancer?
Yes, in a recent study published in the NEJM titled “Prostate Patients can delay Aggressive Care” involving tracking 1600 men diagnosed with prostate cancer over a median of 15 years and comparing outcome of various treatments, surgery, and active surveillance they concluded that active surveillance can often be better patient care than aggressive treatments. Advanced Treatment Options and Active Monitoring Requires Non-Invasive Precision Medicine. This is exactly what AI such as ProstatID offers with its lesion detection, segmentation and risk scoring.
Hamdy, Donovan, Lane, Metcalfe, et. al., Fifteen-year Outcomes after Monitoring, Surgery, or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer, NEJM, March 11, 2023. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2214122.
What is the role of artificial intelligence in MRI regarding active surveillance in prostate cancer?
This is a very new process given that AI has only recently become more adopted by the medical community. However, AI has the potential to play very important role in active surveillance based upon the algorithm’s ability to accurately detect suspicious lesions and grade or classify them. ProstatID, for instance, having been FDA cleared for lesion detection and classification, generates 2D and 3D contour maps of each lesion within the prostate and classifies each with a risk score.
So, if a man has had his prostate MRI interpreted by ProstatID, all of the suspicious lesions detected would be part of his medical record that could then be referred back to after subsequent MRIs processed by ProstatID; and each lesion could be assessed in terms of its changes in size or risk score – this being the most detailed form of active surveillance. Other factors such as changes in PSA level and physical issues are also observed and recorded in conjunction with the MRI plus AI.
What are the potential side effects of the various detection options for prostate cancer?
Side effects vary considerably based upon detection options.
- PSA has poor detection rates with no side effects. False-positive test results are common with PSA screening; only about 25% of people who have a prostate biopsy due to an elevated PSA level are found to have prostate cancer when a biopsy is done.
- The 12-core systematic biopsy is a common method for diagnosing and grading prostate cancer, but it can be inaccurate and lead to overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis. One study found that the false negative rate of a 12-core biopsy can be more than 30%. Side effects include weeks of bleeding from the genital region, risk of significant infection, and potential impotence if nerve bundles are inadvertently hit with the biopsy needle.
- Another study found that TRUS-guided systemic biopsy (TRUS-GB), which can collect 10–14 template cores, has an overall cancer detection rate of 27–40.3%. Inaccurate biopsies can lead to overtreatment of patients with low-grade disease or undertreatment of patients with aggressive disease. Side effects are same as the 12-core systematic biopsy but with less likelihood of inadvertently hitting the nerve bundles with the biopsy needle.
- MRI with contrast is the most common scanning method for prostate cancer detection with detection rates highly dependent upon the skill of the MRI operator and interpreter (radiologist). Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has a detection rate of 25–62% for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) and 5.6–23% for clinically insignificant prostate cancer (ciPCa) when used in targeted biopsies. In one study, mpMRI-targeted biopsy detected csPCa in 39% of 94 men. Another study found that mpMRI-based screening had a higher detection rate than conventional screening (62.7% vs. 45.1%). mpMRI also has a high negative predictive value (NPV) of 95–97%, which means that if a man has a negative mpMRI and then undergoes a biopsy, it’s unlikely that significant cancer will be found. This can help avoid unnecessary biopsies and reduce costs. Side effects from mpMRI using Gadolinium based contrast agents are the rare.
Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are metallic substances used in contrast dyes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve image readability. While side effects are usually mild and short-lived, some people may experience serious, even life-threatening, reactions:
Mild side effects
- Pain at the injection site, nausea, vomiting, itching, rash, headache, dizziness, and abnormal skin sensations like tingling, burning, or prickling
Serious side effects
- Gadolinium toxicity, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), and internal organ damage
- NSF – A painful skin condition that causes skin thickening and tightening in the joints and extremities. It can affect the arms, legs, and trunk, and in severe cases, it can affect internal organs like the heart. NSF is more likely to occur in people with severe kidney problems.
- Bi-parametric MRI (bpMRI) utilizes no contrast agent therefore has only the rare risks associated with obtaining an MRI – physical harm from accidental handling or screening of metal entering the magnetic field which is obviously the same as in mpMRI. bpMRI has also demonstrated nearly identical results as mpMRI largely due to the performance of the interpreter.
- bpMRI supplemented by trained AI has proven demonstrably improved performance (approximately 20%) in cancerous lesion when used by a trained physician and has the same almost non-existent negative side effects as bpMRI alone.
How do patients prepare for a prostate cancer screening procedure?
No significant preparation is required for a PSA (blood sample) test; however, PSA is not significantly correlated with prostate cancer detection – see question #1.
To pursue the more accurate screening provided by bpMRI plus AI (approved for detection) one must obtain and MRI; therefore, prepare for the prostate/pelvic MRI by undergoing a historical screening regarding metals and pace-makers in ones body as well as recommendation to not eat after a certain time the night before and utilize a bowel preparation or ensure morning bowel movement before the MRI procedure.
Are there any dietary or lifestyle changes that can improve the accuracy of prostate cancer detection methods?
Diet and lifestyle changes have no effect on the accuracy of prostate cancer detection.
What are the treatment options available for prostate cancer patients?
There are several types of treatments for prostate cancer, including:
- Active surveillance and watchful waiting: For patients who don’t need immediate treatment
- Surgery: Usually a radical prostatectomy, which removes the entire prostate gland
- Radiation therapy: Includes internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy), which involves placing radioactive seeds or pellets near the cancer, and external beam radiation
- Hormone therapy: Blocks or reduces the amount of testosterone in the body, which prostate cancer often depends on to grow
- Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to shrink or kill cancer that has spread to other parts of the body
- Targeted therapy: Uses new diagnostic tests to treat the right patient with the right medicine based on their cancer’s genetic makeup
- Immunotherapy: Uses the immune system to kill cancer cells
- Cryotherapy: A less common treatment that involves freezing and killing cancer cells with a special probe
When deciding on the best treatment, doctors will consider the type, size, and grade of the cancer, as well as the patient’s general health and whether the cancer has spread. Not all prostate cancer is fatal and doesn’t require treatment, especially for those with a life expectancy of 10 years or less.
What Factors should be considered when deciding between surgery, radiation therapy, and other treatments for prostate cancer?
When choosing a treatment for prostate cancer, you should consider many factors, including your personal health, the stage and grade of the cancer, and the risks and benefits of each treatment:
- Health
Your age, overall health, and other health problems can affect your eligibility for certain treatments. For example, older patients or those with heart or lung issues may be at higher risk of complications from surgery.
- Cancer
The stage, aggressiveness, and likelihood of the cancer causing problems can help determine the best treatment.
- Treatment
The side effects, cure rate, and procedure of each treatment can help you decide which is best for you. For example, surgery can cause urinary leakage and stress incontinence, while radiation can cause short-term side effects like diarrhea and fatigue. You should also consider how the side effects might affect your sex life and how you feel about the practical aspects of treatment, like recovery time or hospital stays.
- Other factors
You might also want to consider your treatment options if the cancer comes back in the future, and how quickly you want to know how well the treatment is working.
It’s important to talk with a surgeon and a radiation oncologist before making your decision. You can also write down questions to ask your doctor at your next appointment.
How do doctors determine which treatment option is best for a specific patient with prostate cancer?
When choosing the best treatment for prostate cancer, doctors consider many factors, including:
- Cancer characteristics
The type, size, grade, stage, and aggressiveness of the cancer, and whether it has spread
- Patient characteristics
Age, overall health, family history of cancer, and other serious health conditions
- Treatment risks and benefits
The likelihood of treatment curing the cancer, side effects, and whether surgery is too risky
- Patient preferences
Feelings about the need for immediate treatment
Doctors may also assign patients to risk groups based on PSA, DRE, and biopsy results, which can help personalize treatment. For example, a radical prostatectomy, which involves surgically removing the entire prostate gland, is a common option for men with early-stage, localized cancer. For men with advanced or recurrent disease, other surgical procedures may be an option. Radiation therapy may be a better choice for people who want to avoid surgery’s side effects or have other health problems that make surgery too risky.
To help you make an informed decision, you can learn about all available treatment options, ask questions, and find a treatment team you’re comfortable with. You can also consider getting a second opinion from another cancer doctor.
Is it recommended to get a second opinion on detected prostate cancer before deciding on a treatment plan?
Yes, although not generally offered, treatment planning should be based upon a quality MRI read by a qualified and trained physician using AI as a supplement that has proven to improve the reader accuracy. This AI should then produce a wholistic view of the entire prostate indicating where suspicious lesions are located along with their risk stratification and suggested case risk score known as PI-RADS.
Can early detection of prostate cancer lead to better treatment outcomes and survival rates?
Absolutely. Early detection offers clinician and patient far more options for treatment or surveillance as prostate cancer is generally a slow progression disease. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, but early detection can make a significant difference in treatment outcomes and quality of life. When caught in its early stages, prostate cancer is highly treatable, and patients have a wider range of options available to them. This is why regular screening and early detection are crucial for men’s health.
Here are some important benefits of early prostate cancer detection:
- Better treatment options
- When prostate cancer is detected early, patients may be eligible for less invasive treatments, such as active surveillance, focal therapy, or minimally invasive surgery.
- Early-stage prostate cancer may not require immediate treatment, allowing patients to avoid potential side effects and complications.
- Improved survival rates
- The 5-year survival rate for localized prostate cancer (cancer that hasn’t spread beyond the prostate) is nearly 100%.
- Early detection and treatment can prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, significantly improving long-term survival rates.
- Enhanced quality of life
- Early treatment of prostate cancer can help preserve urinary and sexual function.
- Minimally invasive treatments often result in faster recovery times and fewer side effects compared to more advanced treatments.
- Catching prostate cancer early can reduce the emotional burden and uncertainty associated with a later-stage diagnosis
Is AI more accurate than traditional methods in detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer?
Yes, specific FDA-cleared AI software has proven through clinical studies to out-perform physicians and/or outperform physicians not using the software as an aid in detection and diagnosis using MRI.
Furthermore, MRI and PSMA-PET are the only methods that not only detect and diagnose prostate cancer, but they indicate precisely the location of the cancer. PSMA-PET.
PSMA PET is a diagnostic tool that uses a type of medical imaging called positron emission tomography (PET) to detect prostate cancer anywhere in the body. PSMA stands for prostate specific membrane antigen, a protein found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. PSMA is expressed in >80% of men with prostate cancer. High PSMA expression is correlated with poor outcomes. PSMA is expressed in certain non-prostate tissues, such as the kidneys, small intestine and salivary glands, at levels lower than in the prostate. To date, AI has not been developed and cleared to assist in detection with PSMA PET.
Can patients choose to use AI for their prostate cancer screening instead of traditional methods?
Yes, patients can and should own their own healthcare plan; however, insurance often dictates what methods and procedures they will pay for.
Are there any limitations or potential biases when using AI for prostate cancer detection in certain populations?
It is possible that potential biases can manifest within AI based upon the population data on which it was trained. Different ethnic groups may present some variations in bio-response and statistical responses to MRI stimuli therefore effecting the training and performance of the AI. In other words, if the AI was trained on a narrow subgroup of the population, it may be less effective on a wider spectrum of population.
Does the use of AI result in faster and more efficient detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer?
AI could have a crucial role in overcoming some of the limitations in the field in different ways, including objectivizing serial MRI assessment, decreasing MRI inter-reader variability and levelling up performances of non-expert readers. Furthermore, using AI to identify and classify suspicious lesions provides a time-stamped record of those lesions that can be compared over time in assessing their growth in size as well as increased or decreased risk stratification.
Are there any past or ongoing studies or research on the effectiveness of AI in detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer?
Bot Image, Inc. conducted two clinical studies involving 25 physicians and 300 prostate MRI cases over two years and reported results to the FDA via the 510(k) process. The results exceeded the FDA threshold of demonstrating statistically significant improvement in reader performance of interpreting prostate MRIs and detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer.
More recently, several additional independent studies have demonstrated the superiority of AI over human readers interpreting prostate MRI such as below.
AI System Beats Radiologists in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer— AI detected 6.8% more clinically significant cancers, 20% fewer indolent cancers from https://www.medpagetoday.com/radiology/diagnosticradiology/110635. An international study led by Radboud University Medical Center compares and assesses AI with clinical outcomes and radiologist assessments. It finds that AI is more accurate than radiologists in detecting prostate cancer and reduces the frequency of false alarms by half. These findings are published in The Lancet Oncology.
AI detects cancer with 17% more accuracy than doctors: UCLA study concludes: A new study from UCLA found that an AI tool identified prostate cancer with 84% accuracy — compared to 67% accuracy for cases detected by physicians, according to a press release from the university.
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Prostate Cancer Care: A Path to Enhanced Efficiency and Outcomes https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_438516#:~:text=Several%20registered%20clinical%20studies%20are,prospective%20insights%20(Table%201). This paper lists a table of ongoing studies utilizing AI.
How does AI factor into treatment decisions for patients with detected prostate cancer?
See question #30 regarding treatment options. Some AI can significantly aid in treatment decisions with detected prostate cancer based upon the outputs of the software. ProstatID, for instance, provides a wholistic view of the entire prostate organ indicating the location, size, and cancer risk score of every detected lesion. Obviously, those lesions that present with a high risk score influence the treatment decision but also, those with lower risk score provide the physicians with additional information as to the possible involvement of cancer throughout the entire organ. If only a singular lesion of moderate to high risk is detected, then localized or targeted treatment such as focal laser treatment could be the best course of action as opposed to whole gland treatment with chemo, radiation, and/or