What is the role of cross sectional imaging in the evaluation of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma?
TRUS is most often used for biopsy guidance, usually in the setting of an abnormal digital rectal exam (DRE) or elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. MRI is also used for biopsy guidance but is most commonly used for disease staging and pretreatment planning (particularly in patients with an intermediate-high risk of extracapsular spread of disease), active surveillance, and detection of tumor recurrence following therapeutic intervention. CT is most often utilized for assessment of regional lymphadenopathy (N stage) and distant metastatic disease (M stage) during staging assessment as well as for response assessment following therapeutic intervention.
