Prostate cancer: gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging at 3 weeks compared with needle biopsy at 6 months after cryoablation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if nonenhancing tissue on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained 3 weeks after cryoablation of the prostate helps reliably and accurately predict nonviable cryoablated tissue at 6-month biopsy.


METHODS
Fifty-four consecutive patients with prostate cancer who underwent cryoablation were followed up prospectively. Fifty-one underwent gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging at 3 weeks (three had gadolinium allergy); 49, biopsy at 6 months (three refused and two had other primary malignancies); and all, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests at 6 weeks, 3 months, and every 3 months thereafter. MR images were evaluated and scored according to the degree of signal void and were correlated with the 6-month biopsy reports and, to a lesser degree, PSA levels. The biopsy reports were examined for the presence or absence of cancerous tissue, viable tissue, and nonviable tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for statistical and regression analyses.


RESULTS
The correlation of MR imaging scores with PSA levels and MR imaging scores with biopsy findings resulted in P values of.337 and.780, respectively. A slight statistically significant trend existed for the relation of biopsy results with PSA levels, with a P value of.041, which was expected.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings of postoperative gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging are not predictive of 6-month biopsy results or follow-up PSA levels.
Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, 1203 15th Ave SW, Calgary, AB, Canada T3C 0X6. sedonnel@ucalgary.ca
Sarah E
SE
Donnelly
Bryan J
BJ
Donnelly
John C
JC
Saliken
Earl L
EL
Raber
A Dale
AD
Vellet
D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors
D005682:Gadolinium