Advanced Microstructure Characterisation of the Prostate with Ultra-Strong Gradient MRI

Our primary goal is to demonstrate proof-of-concept for imaging the prostate gland in unprecedented detail using one of the world’s most powerful MRI scanners.

This study, the first of its kind globally, will image the prostate using a Siemens ‘Connectom’ MRI scanner. Housed in Wales (within Cardiff University), it is one of just four globally (the others are in China, Germany, and USA), but our site is distinct in being supported to scan the prostate.

The Connectom creates images of tissue in minute detail, and we already apply such ‘microstructural imaging’ in human brains to measure cell size, shape and density. We know these properties are different between tumours and normal tissue, so applying these technologies to obtain a ‘virtual-biopsy’ of the prostate would represent a true ‘step-change’ in prostate cancer diagnosis, and may ultimately replace the needle-biopsy.

The feasibility of this approach will be evaluated; firstly, by assessing the quality of the prostate images produced, and how clearly the anatomy of the prostate gland and structures in the pelvis can be seen, and secondly by comparing measurements of cell properties in normal and cancerous prostate, to determine whether we can detect any differences in the measured values.