“Before having a prostate cancer biopsy, I’d demand an MRI scan”

These are the words of Dr Mark Porter, in his latest column on The Times.

In addition to calling for all men with suspected prostate cancer to have access to an MRI scan as part of a better diagnostic pathway, Dr Porter also highlights the importance of the transperineal biopsy – as opposed to the traditional TRUS, or transrectal, biopsy, where the biopsy needle is inserted into the prostate through the rectum.

A lack of experienced radiologists to interpret the images is one of the reasons 25% of men are not offered an MRI scan prior to having a biopsy.

BXTAccelyon is pleased to be able to support patients and clinicians throughout the full prostate cancer pathway, with the recent addition of the online MRI training platform MRI Pro to our services, addressing this demand for healthcare professionals experienced in interpreting and accurate reporting of MRI scans.

In addition, our PrecisionPoint™ transperineal (TP) access system from Perineologic is transforming the traditional TRUS prostate biopsy, and is a proven method for more accurate cancer detection in a safer, more convenient manner. This medical system takes full advantage of the transperineal path, the skin between the scrotum and the back passage – decreasing the risk of infection – to more thoroughly sample all regions of the prostate including those difficult to access with the transrectal approach.

Performed under local anaesthetic (TP LA), the procedure can be conducted in an outpatient setting – more important now than ever before as healthcare systems globally battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on MRI Pro or PrecisionPoint, please contact John Alden at john.alden@bxta.com for further details