An international clinical trial has displayed that high-resolution is effective as MRI in the diagnosis of micro-altrasound prostate cancer. The study known as the optimal test, suggests that this technique can revolutionize prostate cancer by offering more economical, sharp and accessible options for MRI-directed biopsy.

The conclusions were presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Madrid on 23 March 2025 and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers believe that micro-altrasound can reduce hospital tour, free valuable MRI resources, and speed up the diagnosis process for prostate cancer patients.

A game-shineer in detecting prostate cancer

The optimal test is the first random clinical test to compare micro-altrasound (microus)-gugged biopsy with MRI-directed biopsy for prostate cancer. The study analyzed 677 men who performed biopsy in 19 hospitals across Canada, United States and Europe.

The participants were divided into three groups:

50 percent MRI-directed biopsy,

33 percent received a micro-directed biopsy after MRI-directed biopsy,

The remaining group had to undergo a subtle-directed biopsy alone.

The study found no significant difference in cancer detection rates between groups, proving that micro-altrasound prostate cancer could effectively detect effectively as MRI-directed biopsy. Even in cases where the two techniques were used simultaneously, Micrus identified most important cancer, suggesting that MRI may not always be necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Micro-altrasound benefits on MRI

Currently, about one million prostate cancer biopsy is performed in Europe and America with about 100,000 in Canada. The MRI-directed biopsy process includes two-step process:

An MRI scan to identify suspicious areas.

An ultrasound-directed biopsy using fused MRI images to detect tumors.

This method requires many hospital tour, special radiologist and expensive MRI scan. Additionally, not all patients can undergo MRI, especially those metal transplants such as hip replacement or pacemaker.

On the other hand, micro-altrasound operates on a high frequency than traditional ultrasound, producing three times more resolution images. This allows doctors to catch the expansion of MRI-level in real time, making the target biopsy more accessible. The benefits of subtle include:

Low cost compared to MRI.

Single-appointment imaging and biopsy, reducing the patient’s burden.

There is no need for MRI contrast agents such as gadolinium, which can be toxic.

More accessible in low-resources healthcare settings.

Simplified training for physicians as experienced ultrasound users, can quickly suit microus imaging.

Experts take the impact of findings

Professor Lawrence Clotz, head researcher of the trial and Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto emphasized the importance of this success.

He said, “MRI was a game-changer, when it first emerged, allowing the targeted biopsy to be allowed with greater accuracy. However, MRI boundaries-it is expensive, it is difficult to access, and require expertise to interpret,” he explained.

He further stated that uniform clinical accuracy, one-stop-shop approach provides these issues to end these issues, allowing hospitals to prioritize MRI for other important uses such as orthopedic imaging.

Professor Jochen Walz, a leading expert at urological imaging from the Institute Paoli-Calmets Cancer in France, also highlighted the benefits.

He said, “Micro-altrasound is a more straightforward and safe option, avoids potential errors, which may be fusing for MRIs for an ultrasound for biopsy. Although training is required to explain microscopic images, this allows prostate cancer diagnosis and biopsy to perform in the same journey,” he said.

He further suggested that Microus prostate can play an important role in cancer screening programs, especially in developing health care systems, where MRI availability is limited. However, additional research is required to detect its full potential in mass screening efforts.

One step towards more accessible cancer diagnosis

The test was sponsored by accurate imaging, specializing in a Canadian company Microus technology. Since healthcare provider seeks cost effective and efficient clinical methods, micro-altrasound presents a promising solution to detect sharp, cheap and equally reliable prostate cancer.

With its ability to simplify biopsy processes, increase access and reduce dependence on MRI, micro-altrasound may soon become a standard tool in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, in which millions of men are tested and treated for the disease.

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