Combining T₂WI and functional MRI in differentiating prostatic malignant from benign lesions

Prostate cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and the second highest mortality after lung cancer in Europe and American. As the acceleration of aging and changes in diet, the incidence of prostate cancer showed an increasing trend. The early diagnosis will be helpful in ruducing the mortality and improving the prognosis. MRI is prior to other techniques for the early qualitative diagnosis. This review will show a) the advantages of multi-MRI sequences: T₂WI, dynamic contast-enhanced imaging (DCE-MRI), diffusion-weighed imaging (DWI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and their combinations in differential diagnosis of prostatic lesions, b) the relevance of multiparameters and prostate specific antigen (PSA), c) the choice of the best imaging sequences in clinical work. (authors)