Will I need an MRI, CT or bone scan?
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may need more tests to find out whether it is likely to have spread outside the prostate. The results should help you and your urologist decide on what treatment may be suitable for you.
You may not need to have these tests if your PSA is low and your Gleason score suggests that the cancer is unlikely to have spread. 7
CT scan
A computerised tomography (CT) scan can show whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes near the prostate. You may have this scan if there is a risk of your cancer spreading and you are considering active treatment options such as radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.
MRI scan
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnets rather than X-rays to create a detailed picture of your prostate and surrounding tissues. You may have an MRI if there is a risk of your cancer spreading and you are considering active treatment options such as radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.
Bone scan
A bone scan may show whether any cancer cells have spread from the prostate to the bone. One of the most common places for prostate cancer to spread is to the bones.
References used in the production of this page.
7 Royal College of Radiologists Clinical Oncology Information Network, British Association of Urological Surgeons. Guidelines on the management of prostate cancer; 1999.