Prostate cancer is considered one of the most common cancers occurring in men after middle age. Particularly, prostate cancer is a disease where regular check-ups and accurate diagnosis are paramount, as early symptoms are almost non-existent. In this process, prostate biopsy is a critical step for confirming cancer, and diagnostic accuracy and patient burden can vary significantly depending on the biopsy method.
Conventional prostate biopsies primarily involved randomly sampling multiple areas within the prostate, referencing only ultrasound images. However, such random biopsies carry the risk of missing actual cancerous lesions. This led to limitations such as the need for re-biopsies or increased patient pain and burden due to unnecessary tissue collection.
Recently, to overcome these limitations, MR Fusion targeted biopsy, which combines MRI and ultrasound images, is being utilized. MR Fusion biopsy is a method that accurately targets suspected cancerous areas for tissue collection by combining information on suspicious lesions identified in pre-scanned MRI images with real-time ultrasound images. In this process, AI-based auto-calibration technology is applied, ensuring that the MRI lesion location and the ultrasound image precisely match in real-time. Unlike the conventional method of randomly puncturing 12 sites, this examination targets actual lesions, significantly increasing the possibility of detecting deep-seated or small-sized cancers.
Another strength of MR Fusion biopsy is that it is equipped with the S-Fusion™ system, recognized as a new medical technology. This equipment automatically segments the prostate, and AI real-time corrects for prostate deformation that may occur during the ultrasound examination. This allows for accurate 3D representation of the prostate's morphology and precise spatial identification of lesion locations. This technological foundation is leading to actual clinical outcomes. According to research, MR Fusion targeted biopsy is reported to reduce diagnostic errors by approximately 60% compared to conventional random biopsies.
Clinically, the performance of MR Fusion biopsy is also clearly evident. While the prostate cancer detection rate of conventional biopsies remained at 25-35%, MR Fusion targeted biopsy showed a detection rate of approximately 71.4%, achieving more than double the accuracy. Particularly, its diagnostic performance is even superior in high-grade risk prostate cancers, significantly helping to reduce unnecessary follow-ups or re-biopsies.
Director Kim Jae-woong of Goldman Urology Gangnam Branch stated, "Prostate cancer is a disease where treatment outcomes and quality of life vary significantly depending on when and how it is diagnosed. MR Fusion biopsy, which targets specific areas rather than random ones, is becoming a new standard for prostate cancer diagnosis." He added, "If prostate cancer is suspected or an abnormal PSA level is detected, it is paramount to diagnose it early through a more precise biopsy and establish a treatment plan."