by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | March 28, 2025
ExactVu micro-ultrasound system from Exact Imaging
Micro-ultrasound could offer a faster, more accessible method for diagnosing prostate cancer, according to findings from the OPTIMUM trial presented at the European Association of Urology Congress and published in JAMA.
The international study is the first randomized trial to compare micro-ultrasound (microUS) with MR for guiding prostate biopsies. Researchers found that microUS was as effective as MR in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer, with similar detection rates across all trial arms.
The trial enrolled 677 men across 19 hospitals in Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Participants were divided into three groups: MR-guided biopsy, microUS-guided biopsy followed by MR-guided biopsy, and microUS-guided biopsy alone. The majority of cancers were identified using microUS, including in the group that received both methods.
Ad Statistics
Times Displayed: 101332
Times Visited: 6227 MIT labs, experts in Multi-Vendor component level repair of: MRI Coils, RF amplifiers, Gradient Amplifiers Contrast Media Injectors. System repairs, sub-assembly repairs, component level repairs, refurbish/calibrate. info@mitlabsusa.com/+1 (305) 470-8013
Unlike MR-guided biopsy—which requires separate imaging and biopsy appointments and relies on image fusion technology—microUS can be used in real time during a single visit. The technology produces high-resolution images with three times the resolution of conventional ultrasound and does not require the use of gadolinium contrast agents.
Laurence Klotz, professor of surgery at the University of Toronto and lead investigator of the trial, said the findings could shift how prostate cancer is diagnosed.
“We now know that microUS can give as good a diagnostic accuracy as MR and that is also game changing,” Klotz said. “It means you can offer a one stop shop, where patients are scanned, then biopsied immediately if required.”
Jochen Walz, a member of the European Association of Urology’s scientific congress office and a professor at Institut Paoli-Calmettes in Marseille, added that the method “avoids the potential errors that can creep in during the transfer of MR to ultrasound for a fusion biopsy.”
The OPTIMUM trial was sponsored by Exact Imaging, a Canadian firm that manufactures microUS equipment.
Further research is expected to explore the use of microUS in screening and resource-limited settings.
