Health Focus: New Ultrasound Tool May Improve Prostate Cancer Detection

Inside the operating room at Erlanger, doctors are using a new imaging tool that offers a closer look at prostate cancer.

Urologist Dr. Amar Singh demonstrated how the technology works.

The micro-ultrasound system produces high-resolution images, giving physicians a sharper way to tell suspicious tissue apart from healthy tissue.

That extra level of detail could have an important effect on treatment decisions.

“Think of it like TVs of 1960s to current era, you know, ultra-HD TVs that we have,” Dr. Singh says. ”The details you can see, the color contrast you can see, are phenomenal compared to those. And that's all this micro ultrasound is.”

The technology can also combine live ultrasound images with a patient's MRI, helping doctors locate suspicious areas and guide biopsies more accurately.

As a result, physicians may be able to identify patients who are better suited for more targeted treatment instead of treating the entire prostate, which could reduce side effects.

“The way I describe it is going back to you know rotten area fruit idea. If you precisely know where your rotten area is, your ability to carve that out is that much better,” Dr. Singh says.

Dr. Singh says advances like this are helping doctors provide stronger cancer care while limiting the drawbacks for patients.

Even with the newest technology, he emphasizes that screening is still essential because early prostate cancer often causes no symptoms.

“Prostate cancer doesn't kill everybody, but yet it's the number one cause of leading death from cancer in men,” Dr. Singh says. “So as all of us men are living longer, we want to maintain good quality of life. Of course, it makes sense to kind of focus on screening.”

Doctors generally advise discussing prostate cancer screening around age 50, or around age 45 for Black men and people with a family history of the disease.