Prospective Evaluation of Mp-MRI, MR-guided Biopsy, and Molecular Markers for Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer

Active Surveillance (AS) is a treatment option in patients with favorable risk prostate cancer. According to the current guidelines patients are monitored by prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing (every 3 months) and regular re-biopsies. Due to histological reclassification and/or patient noncompliance a high number of patients discontinue AS. Nonetheless, because of an increasing number of diagnosed early stage tumors overdiagnosis and overtreatment of patients has become a major clinical problem. Therefore AS is a promising and important tool for patients with low and intermediate risk prostate cancer. Multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI) in combination with radiomics analysis, MR-guided biopsies, and molecular markers are promising tools to optimize patient selection and observation during AS. This prospective, single arm, multicenter phase II study evaluates mp-MRI, radiomics, MR-guided biopsies and molecular markers for AS with the primary endpoint of reducing discontinuation based on histologic reclassification. At the end of this study the results may allow defining a MRI-based pathway to identify and monitor patients suitable for AS supported by radiomics. Thus, the high rate of discontinuation due to misclassification at initial diagnosis will be reduced. Additionally, this strategy will allow reducing over-treatment of clinically insignificant PCA, and on the other hand, increasing early treatment of higher-risk disease. Monitoring by mp-MRI will reduce the number of prostate biopsies and cores per patient during AS, and thus increase the patient compliance. Finally, such a strategy will reduce the economic burden of treating insignificant prostate cancer.