Combining ultrasound and MRI helps visualize prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of Aberystwyth (Aberystwyth, UK) are aiming to develop a system that will enable doctors to improve the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Lead researcher Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar has received £60,100 from The Prostate Cancer Charity to supervise a PhD project to investigate the idea of combining magnetic resonance (MRI) and ultrasound images to give a more detailed initial map of where prostate cancer is present in the body.

“By investigating the benefits of combining ultrasound and MRI, we plan to develop a method which enables us to build a more accurate view of individual prostate tumors than we do currently. We hope that improvements to the accuracy of diagnosis will allow for more confidence in deciding which treatments to use, and hopefully increase the success of these treatments,” said Zwiggelaar.

This year, The Prostate Cancer Charity has awarded more than £2 million -- its biggest research investment to date -- to institutions across the UK designed to improve prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK. Every year 37,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer with one dying every hour from the disease.

-- By Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design