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MRI for Prostate Cancer Staging, Cath Lab Safety, and Radiology Myths
July 16, 2026
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Together with
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“Every interventional cardiologist has been trained that radiation dose is their responsibility: fluoro time, frame rates, collimation. Nobody asks how old the machine is. We asked. Median age: 17 years.”
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Mladen Vidovich, MD, chief of cardiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Patients are now seeing their radiology reports, but most don’t have any idea what the reports mean. In this episode of The Imaging Wire Show, I talked to Nicholas Befera, MD, co-founder and CEO of Scanslated, about the company’s technology for generating radiology reports that patients can actually understand.
In other news, we are rapidly marching toward the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, and what a competition it’s been. If you’re lucky enough to have your favorite team still in contention, kudos to you, and good luck this weekend! – Brian Casey, Managing Editor
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Digital rectal exams for prostate cancer staging could become a thing of the past thanks to MRI. A new study in JAMA Network Open found that MRI performed as well as digital exams in determining the extent of prostate cancer disease.
Prostate cancer screening is moving closer to becoming a more widely accepted test, and MRI has played a major role in that evolution by enabling more precise workup of men with high PSA levels.
- But what about other aspects of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, such as staging men found to have clinically significant disease? It turns out MRI has a role to play there as well.
To learn more, researchers from Germany looked at data from 4.4k men with a median age of 66 and median PSA level of 7.4 ng/mL (anything over 3 ng/mL is typically referred for additional workup). All patients were scheduled for radical prostatectomy.
- Patients received digital rectal exams to assign clinical T stage and assess characteristics of cancer severity, such as local tumor extent, extracapsular extension, and seminal vesicle invasion.
This was compared to multiparametric MRI scans on 1.5T or 3T systems, with data reported using the PI-RADS scale. The study’s primary outcome was distant metastasis-free survival.
Among the patient cohort, researchers found…
- MRI staging was slightly more accurate than digital exams for predicting biochemical recurrence-free survival (C index = 0.62, with 0.5 representing chance-level prediction and 1 indicating perfect prediction).
- And MRI was also better at predicting distant metastasis-free survival (C index = 0.67).
- But MRI and digital exams were comparable when using four of the major prostate cancer risk classification systems in Europe.
What to make of the results? MRI didn’t have a huge advantage over digital rectal exams, but it was good enough for the authors to suggest that digital exams could be eliminated in favor of MRI workup instead.
- That would enable clinicians to avoid many of the digital exam’s shortcomings, such as subjectivity, operator dependency, and restricted ability to assess extracapsular extension or seminal vesicle invasion.
The Takeaway
This week’s study shows that MRI’s role in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment goes beyond just screening, and the digital rectal exam’s role for patient staging could soon become a thing of the past in all but a few cases.
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Remote Reading Is Essential for Enterprise Imaging
Remote reading has become essential to enterprise imaging operations because healthcare organizations need scalable, flexible solutions. Discover how cloud-based solutions from Intelerad can help solve remote reading challenges.
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Scaling Innovation in Radiology
In this episode of Medality’s The Radiology Report Podcast, host Daniel Arnold sat down with Subtle Medical CEO Ohad Arazi to discuss evolution of radiology AI and why improving image acquisition is an impactful way to improve patient care.
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Adding AI Automation to Radiology Reporting
Reporting Pro from DeepHealth is a next-generation AI-powered solution designed to transform the way radiologists generate clinical reports and findings. Discover how it can transform your practice.
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- Confirm PSA Levels Before Workup: Prostate cancer screening could be further improved by simply confirming elevated PSA levels before working patients up. Researchers from the PROBASE study in Germany analyzed 2.8k elevated PSA tests, finding that 38% of patients had PSA levels that fell below the ≥ 3 ng/mL threshold for biopsy after they got repeat testing within 28 days, with higher rates for men in their 40s compared to those in their 50s (46% vs. 34%). Confirmatory PSA tests could reduce the costs and morbidity of diagnostic workup.
- Standing for Fluoro Lab Radiation Safety: Prominent medical groups are demanding stronger radiation safety in fluoroscopic labs. A new expert consensus statement from the Society of Interventional Radiology and five other organizations says current technologies can virtually eliminate clinicians’ radiation exposure and end the need for heavy lead aprons, which are tied to orthopedic issues. The groups note that many cath labs still abide by older practices, putting them out of step with the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) standard for radiation dose.
- Radiation and Aging Fluoro Equipment: Speaking of radiation exposure, a recent paper in JSCAI revealed widespread use of aging fluoroscopy equipment in cath labs across California and Illinois that makes minimizing operator dose more difficult. Across 654 units, researchers found a median system age of 17 years, and equipment released before 2001 accounted for 22% of inventory. The article argues that legacy equipment unfairly tilts the onus of radiation safety toward clinicians and calls for requiring imaging infrastructure investments to reduce radiation risk.
- NRC Proposes ALARA Elimination: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission earlier this month officially proposed to eliminate the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle for regulating radiation dose in humans. The NRC would replace ALARA with a graded approach that still uses the linear no-threshold model for radiation risk, which holds that there’s no safe level of radiation dose. The NRC’s proposal mostly applies to the nuclear power industry, but the ALARA concept is also used in healthcare to limit radiation dose to patients as much as possible.
- Debunking Radiology Myths: Many patients and non-radiologist healthcare providers carry outdated beliefs about radiology that can impact patient care, and debunking these myths is the goal of a new article in RadioGraphics. Common radiology myths include one postulating that patients with shellfish allergies shouldn’t get iodinated contrast (not true), or that contrast is contraindicated in people with impaired renal function (not necessarily). The problem is that many of these myths live on in EHR software and trigger allergy alerts, leading to exam delays and even cancellations.
- Civic Engagement Boosts Breast Screenings: As the U.S. gears up for the 2026 midterms, a CANCER study found that women who vote may be more likely to get their mammography screening. Data from 5.7k women found 68% of voters got a mammogram in the last year compared to 58% of nonvoters. Still, the results aren’t that simple. Socioeconomic inequality has long been associated with decreased screening and civic engagement, but the correlation between the two could hint at community-based partnerships to mitigate both disparities.
- Three Decades of FDA AI Authorizations: A new analysis of three decades of FDA marketing authorizations for AI products confirmed a high concentration of approvals, both by medical specialty and by manufacturer. The new study in Cureus reviewed 1.4k authorizations from 1995 to 2025, confirming that radiology secured 77% of authorizations, at a rate that’s remained stable over the decades. A small number of AI developers have most of the authorizations thanks to repeat approvals, confirming other recent analyses.
- FDA Clears Siemens Plaque Analysis: Siemens Healthineers received FDA clearance for software that performs coronary plaque analysis from CT scans. Called syngo.CT Coronary Cockpit, Siemens debuted the application at RSNA 2025 as part of its syngo.via advanced visualization platform. The solution automatically segments and labels the coronary arteries and visualizes and quantifies plaque types to help clinicians assess a patient’s burden of coronary artery disease and plan appropriate therapeutic interventions.
- One Small Scan for Man… One giant leap for radiology. Armed with equipment from MinXray and KA Imaging, astronauts captured the first usable radiographs in space. Results published in Radiology show similar image quality, spatial resolution, and contrast resolution between preflight and in-flight X-rays using the system. Image positioning suffered aboard the SpaceX capsule, but the point stands: Ultrasound is no longer the only viable modality during spaceflight. The findings come just months after a U.S. astronaut experienced a mysterious medical episode, cutting a mission short.
- Sectra Nabs Canada Site, German Certification: Sectra’s string of success in Canada continues. The company secured a contract to provide its Sectra One Cloud platform to Hennick Humber Hospital, a facility in Ontario that’s part of Humber River Health. The agreement has an expected annual volume of 250k imaging exams. In other Sectra news, the company achieved the highest level of security certification in Germany for Sectra One Cloud under the country’s Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria Catalogue (C5) program.
- CMS Proposes 2027 Payment Rates: CMS this week issued its proposed 2027 reimbursement rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Radiology experts are still analyzing the proposal, but a preliminary ACR analysis said it has “overall positive updates” for radiology, with payment growth of 2% for radiology, 2% for nuclear medicine, 3% for interventional radiology, and 3% for radiation oncology. CMS said it plans to transition physicians away from the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and toward “more meaningful value-based care pathways.”
- Rad AI Taps Chief Product Officer: Rad AI has tapped an executive with experience in the enterprise AI and cloud computing industries as its new chief product officer. Leonard Law comes to Rad AI from Primer, an enterprise AI company where he was also CPO. Prior to that, he was head of product at Coinbase, and also served stints at Google Cloud and YouTube. Law is taking over CPO responsibilities from Jeff Chang, MD, Rad AI’s co-founder and president.
- Radiation Therapy’s Rural Flight: The overall number of U.S. radiation oncology clinics has remained stable, but a deeper dive into the data shows rural clinics are disappearing. An International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics study found that rural sites were 44% more likely to close than urban ones, leaving 69% of U.S. counties without a single radiation oncology clinic in 2025. With these counties already facing higher uninsurance rates and limited healthcare access, closures could make cancer care even more stressful for some individuals who will have to travel farther.
- Cancer Disparities in Rural Communities: A patient survey from the Prevent Cancer Foundation showed screening gaps between rural and urban populations continue to widen. While individuals living in rural areas see cancer diagnoses as more deadly than their urban counterparts (43% vs 35%, respectively), only 48% have had a cancer screening this year, compared to 56% of urban/suburban Americans. Costs were prohibitive for 39% of rural respondents, but slim wallets weren’t the only issue. One in four rural Americans also felt dismissed by clinicians.
- Riverain’s New Chief Revenue Officer: Riverain Technologies hired Tim Nash as the company’s new chief revenue officer. Nash is a U.S. Army veteran and former radiologic technologist who most recently was senior vice president of healthcare at dementia software developer Linus Health, and prior to that was VP of sales and acting CRO at Aidoc. He’s also served executive stints at Dell subsidiary Virtustream and McKesson Health IT.
- Neko Health Raises $700M: Preventive health company Neko Health this week reported a funding round that the rest of us mere mortals can only dream about: $700M in a Series C round. The Swedish company will use the funds to fuel an aggressive U.S. expansion this year, with its first clinics opening in New York and other cities. The company calls its flagship offering Neko Health Scan, which reportedly uses cardiovascular ultrasound and a basket of other non-imaging technologies to “capture millions of health data points.”
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Next-Generation DICOM SR Workflow Engine Messaging
The accelerating adoption of AI-powered radiology reporting has propelled replacement of legacy speech recognition integration technology. Discover how Altamont Software’s Passport SR can help you manage the shift with a modern DICOM SR engine.
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Can You Meet Conditional MRI Requirements?
How confident are you that your MR practice can meet the MR Conditional requirements? Philips has developed ScanWise Implant to simplify scanning patients with MR Conditional implants. Learn more on this page.
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Top Health Systems Are Providing Patient-Friendly Reports
Scanslated is the digital patient experience platform trusted at scale by Duke Health, Lumexa Imaging, and other patient-centric healthcare providers. Find out how Scanslated can work for you today.
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- Staying Competitive with New Technology: Nashville General Hospital aimed to enhance their CT and mammography systems to remain competitive, and Fujifilm stood out as the right fit. Learn how they boosted efficiency with Fujifilm’s Scenaria View CT scanner and ASPIRE Cristalle mammography system.
- Driving Advances in Lung Health Through Early Detection: Earlier detection of chest conditions leads to more effective treatments and patient outcomes. Learn more about lung diseases, the impact of early detection, and tools from Riverain Technologies to improve detection accuracy and efficiency.
- Fewer Biopsies, Better Accuracy: AI is converging with TI-RADS and BI-RADS in ways that go beyond automation. Read this article from Kailo Medical to learn how structured reporting is reducing unnecessary biopsies, improving consistency, and reclaiming clinical time.
- More than an Image. The Big Picture: AGFA HealthCare understands that striking the critical balance between clinical efficiency and quality delivery of patient care starts with the clinician experience. Learn how their Enterprise Imaging platform makes the complex simple.
- Power at the Point of Care: The uDR 380i Pro from United Imaging is a high-performing and agile mobile X-ray system with an ultra-narrow body design, a high-voltage generator, and the uVision Remote Console that redefines the workflow for point of care imaging.
- 8 Ways Merge Meets Enterprise Imaging Requirements: Merge enterprise imaging solutions deliver measurable value through continued innovation, thoughtful design, and flexible deployment. Learn how they can benefit your organization today.
- The Path to Digital Pathology: Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City had a vision: digital pathology coupled with fully integrated radiology, all in one enterprise imaging system. Learn how they turned this vision into reality on this page from Sectra.
- Rapid AI Deployment in Emergency Care: University Hospitals used CARPL to deploy AZmed’s fracture detection tool directly in the emergency department, reducing interpretation time by 30% without disrupting workflows. Learn how UH accelerated AI deployment.
- A New Solution for AI of Breast MRI: A new AI solution for analyzing breast MRI is now available in Europe and the U.K. – QP-Breast from Quibim. Find out how it improves breast MRI interpretation.
- How to Choose Between Tableside and Remote Fluoroscopy: Need help deciding whether tableside or universal remote fluoroscopy is right for you? This whitepaper from Siemens Healthineers may be able to put things in perspective.
- See Your One-Year Return in 30 Seconds: What’s the return on investment for echo AI? Check out this online calculator from Us2.ai to find out how much capacity AI adds, the additional echo scans that capacity buys you, and the net new revenue.
- AI-Assisted Radiology Reporting: Move beyond legacy radiology reporting with AI-assisted reporting from Mosaic Technologies. See how Mosaic Reporting can help your organization move faster today while building for tomorrow.
- The Power to Explore Further: The SIGNA Sprint MRI scanner from GE HealthCare combines exceptional power at 1.5T with brilliant intelligence from their deep-learning solutions. Learn how it can help you unlock the full clinical potential of MRI.
- One Viewer for All: Achieve ultrafast image interpretation with greater efficiency and precision with Visage 7 from Visage Imaging. Visage’s one-viewer philosophy enables all end users – from radiologists to clinicians – to access powerful tools based on clinical need.
- Don’t Bring Legacy Workflows Into Your Next Reporting Platform: A new platform deserves a new workflow, not old bad habits. Leaders at Yale, Emory, and Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg share candid lessons on reporting modernization, stakeholder alignment, and implementation success. Learn more and reserve your spot today in this webinar from Rad AI.
- Unified Imaging Access for Modern Healthcare: Enable clinicians with fast, secure access to diagnostic imaging across facilities, specialties, and systems with eUnity from Mach7 Technologies.
- Smoothing the Transition to Radiology Integration: Consolidation among medical imaging providers is creating challenges when it comes to managing and integrating image data from diverse sources. In this edition of The Imaging Wire Show, we discussed how solutions from Enlitic can smooth the transition.
- The Modern Way to Send and Receive Medical Images: Medicom Connect enables you to automate clinical image exchange across your healthcare ecosystem with workflows that automatically find, retrieve, and deliver images directly to the point of care, improving access and care coordination. Learn more about Medicom’s solutions today.
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