Abdominal Imaging - Original Article

Natural history of small index lesions suspicious for prostate cancer on multiparametric MRI: recommendations for interval imaging follow-up

10.5152/dir.2014.13319

  • Soroush Rais-Bahrami
  • Barış Türkbey
  • Ardeshir R. Rastinehad
  • Annerleim Walton-Diaz
  • Anthony N. Hoang
  • M. Minhaj Siddiqui
  • Lambros Stamatakis
  • Hong Truong
  • Jeffrey W. Nix
  • Srinivas Vourganti
  • Kinzya B. Grant
  • Maria J. Merino
  • Bradford J. Wood
  • Peter L. Choyke
  • Peter A. Pinto

Received Date: 21.06.2014 Accepted Date: 18.12.2014 Diagn Interv Radiol 2014;20(4):293-298

PURPOSE

We aimed to determine the natural history of small index lesions identified on multiparametric-magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) of the prostate by evaluating lesion-specific pathology and growth on serial MP-MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 153 patients who underwent a minimum of two MP-MRI sessions, on an institutional review board-approved protocol. Index lesion is defined as the lesion(s) with the highest cancer suspicion score based on initial MP-MRI of a patient, irrespective of size. Two study cohorts were identified: (1) patients with no index lesion or index lesion(s) ≤7 mm and (2) a subset with no index lesion or index lesion(s) ≤5 mm. Pathological analysis of the index lesions was performed following magnetic resonance/ultrasound fusion-guided biopsy. Growth rate of the lesions was calculated based on MP-MRI follow-up.

RESULTS

Patients with small index lesions measuring ≤7 mm (n=42) or a subset with lesions ≤5 mm (n=20) demonstrated either benign findings (86.2% and 87.5%, respectively) or low grade Gleason 6 prostate cancer (13.8% and 12.5%, respectively) on lesion-specific targeted biopsies. These lesions demonstrated no significant change in size (P = 0.93 and P = 0.36) over a mean imaging period of 2.31±1.56 years and 2.40±1.77 years for ≤7 mm and ≤5 mm index lesion thresholds, respectively. These findings held true on subset analyses of patients who had a minimum of two-year interval follow-up with MP-MRI.

CONCLUSION

Small index lesions of the prostate are pathologically benign lesions or occasionally low-grade cancers. Slow growth rate of these small index lesions on serial MP-MRI suggests a surveillance interval of at least two years without significant change.