The evolving role of positron emission tomography in precision prostate cancer biopsy.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, and accurate detection and diagnosis are crucial for effective treatment planning. Diagnostic prostate biopsy plays a pivotal role in the detection and characterization of prostate cancer. Recent advancements in molecular imaging, particularly with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using radiolabelled Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) tracers, have shown significant improvements in enhancing prostate cancer detection. PSMA PET, when combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in hybrid PET/MRI systems, provides improved sensitivity and specificity, enabling more precise localization of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) lesions. This narrative review explores the evolving role of PET/CT and PET/MRI-guided prostate biopsy. We examine the integration of PET with MRI for the detection of prostate cancer, highlighting key studies that have demonstrated improved diagnostic outcomes. Additionally, we discuss the current limitations, including the high costs and longer scan times associated with PET/MRI, as well as the challenges in data interpretation. The review also considers emerging technologies, such as promising molecular probes for prostate PET imaging, such as gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) and fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI). Finally, the present work provides the clinician with a comprehensive yet concise up-to-date review of the literature to easily evaluate the possibilities currently offered by hybrid imaging technologies of personalized imaging-guided biopsy for prostate cancer patients.