MRI Versus PSA in Prostate Cancer Screening Study

PSA blood tests are not recommended to be used for the early detection of prostate cancer (screening). MRI screening of the prostate shows great promise!

• Are you a male 50 -79 years old with no previous prostate biopsy?
• Have not had a PSA test within the last 3 years.
• Have not had a prostate biopsy within the last 3 years.
• Willing to undergo a prostate biopsy based on the MRI or PSA test during the study.

If so you may be eligible to participate in a study to determine whether MRI imaging can improve the accuracy of prostate diagnosis.

What is this study about?

This is a randomized clinical trial that will compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in detecting lethal forms of prostate cancer. As a part of our research, we will obtain a randomized MRI or PSA blood test to evaluate your risk of having prostate cancer. This will take place at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at a scheduled visit. You will be asked to undergo an onsite evaluation. Participants will be followed for a period of three years: up to four visits in the first year and a follow-up visit each additional year. Parking can be compensated.

We are aiming to recruit about 1000 men who will be randomized to either undergoing an MRI or a PSA test. Men who have had a PSA test within the last three years are NOT eligible for this study.

Why is this study important?

Currently all Canadian and U.S. government bodies do not recommend undergoing the PSA test for the early detection of prostate cancer. On the other hand, cancer specialists still advocate for PSA testing, despite its weaknesses in under-detecting lethal forms of prostate cancer and over-detecting indolent forms.

New methods of MRI testing for prostate cancer have been shown to perform much better than the PSA blood test. To determine which test is better, it's important to conduct the best clinical trial — a randomized study — to evaluate this. Currently, MRI has been very valuable in aiding how we diagnose prostate cancer. See our study with CTV News »

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02799303

Principal research investigator:

Robert K. Nam, MD
Professor, Division of Urology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
University of Toronto