Rajakumar Nagarajan1, Daniel Margolis1, Steven S. Raman1, Manoj K. Sarma1, Ke Sheng2, Robert E. Reiter3, M.Albert Thomas1
1Radiological Sciences, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, United States; 2Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, United States; 3Urology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, United States
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and MR spectroscopy offers improved sensitivity and specificity for PCa detection. We have investigated the functional changes in prostate cancer patients with three pathologically proven different Gleason scores (3+3, 3+4 and 4+3) using DWI and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). The combined MRSI and DWI can help in the discrimination of intermediate Gleason grade tumors from low Gleason grade tumors with histopathology as a standard reference. This information can guide subsequent definitive management, and help to optimize active surveillance programs.