ABSTRACT
Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men in the United States, with an estimated incidence of 180,890 cases in 2016.1 Screening for prostate cancer has traditionally consisted of a digital rectal exam and prostate-specific antigen testing. The key benefit of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prostate imaging is its exquisite soft-tissue contrast, which allows for differentiation of benign and malignant nodules. T1- and T2-weighted images serve as the anatomic sequences on which MRI imaging is based. Each imaging sequence is acquired using specific parameters that take advantage of the tissues intrinsic properties. Dynamic contrast enhancement is another method used to differentiate between benign and malignant tissues. This technique uses T1-weighted images obtained at multiple time points following IV contrast administration. In order to acquire the best possible images of the prostate, MRI protocols seek to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), as a higher SNR translates into higher spatial resolution and thus higher-quality images.
