Magnetic resonance in prostate cancer - clinical potentials

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In most western countries prostatic cancer is an important and increasing health problem. The number of patients with occult prostatic cancer exceeds by far the number of patients with clinically apparent tumors. Prostatic cancer is often a slowly-growing, indolent tumor and therefore, the diagnosis is often made at rather a late stage of the disease. The necessity of treatment has to be discussed for each single case specifically. Magnetic resonance imaging is a very sensitive technique that can help to describe the extent of prostatic cancer. The MR-findings may contribute to prognosing whether a therapy can lead to cure. The introduction of an endorectal surface coil allows to image the prostate with a higher resolution and an increased signal-to-noise ratio. Local staging and measurement of the tumor volume are possible with a high degree of reliability. MR is an important modality for evaluating prostatic cancer.