Quantitative mpMRI to Predict Metastatic Potential of Prostate Cancer

Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer will likely not die from the primary tumor, but from (extended) metastatic disease. One of the first steps towards extended metastatic disease is the presence of lymph node metastases, which is an important factor in determining therapy and prognosis. Although historically all patients with lymph node metastases are considered incurable, research has shown that patients with only a limited number of small (\<8 mm) nodal metastases have a better prognosis as compared to patients with more extensive involvement. In patients with only a limited number of small nodal metastases (oligo-metastatic), therapy with curative intent might be pursued, e.g. by surgical resection or loco-regional radiotherapy. With continuously improving opportunities to very selectively treat small numbers of metastatic sites it is of utmost importance to accurately diagnose the first signs of oligo-metastatic disease and to define its extent. It is hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can obtain more information from the local prostate than what is now used in the clinic to stage localized prostate cancer and oligo-metastatic disease. In recent years positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with computerized tomography (CT) and Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) tracers (PSMA-PET/CT) has emerged as an imaging modality to visualize (early) metastatic disease, but its accuracy in detecting oligo-metastatic spread is unknown, as small nodal metastases can be missed. In this study, the correlation is assessed between functional, quantitative and metabolic local tumor characteristics with PSMA-PET/CT-proven nodal involvement, to be able to predict metastatic potential from quantitative MRI parameters of the localized tumor. If the study shows potential for predicting presence of metastatic disease, future patients will benefit from improved nodal staging, potentially leading to more accurate and personalized treatment of the correct disease stage.