title: Imaging in prostate cancer staging: present role and future perspectives.
abstract: Despite recent improvements in detection and treatment, prostate cancer continues to be the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Thus, although survival rate continues to improve, prostate cancer remains a compelling medical health problem. The major goal of prostate cancer imaging in the next decade will be more accurate disease characterization through the synthesis of anatomic, functional, and molecular imaging information in order to plan the most appropriate therapeutic strategy. No consensus exists regarding the use of imaging for evaluating primary prostate cancer. However, conventional and functional imaging are expanding their role in detection and local staging and, moreover, functional imaging is becoming of great importance in oncologic management and monitoring of therapy response. This review presents a multidisciplinary perspective on the role of conventional and functional imaging methods in prostate cancer staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. francesco.pinto@libero.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totaro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calarco
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Addessi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Racioppi
authors.forename: AnnaLia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.forename: PierFrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bassi
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography