For prostate cancer diagnostics, magnetic resonance imaging and perineal tissue samples (fusion biopsies) are primarily used.
From September 1, 2025, advanced imaging diagnostics will be available through Evidia, in close proximity to the Peritus Clinic. But it is of course possible to have the examination performed at another X-ray clinic.
Magnetic resonance imaging – MRI or also colloquially called magnetic resonance imaging – has gained an increasingly prominent role in prostate cancer diagnostics.
Previously, punctures of the prostate gland were made either by the urologist being able to feel a change through the rectum or by the entire prostate gland being biopsied with a matrix of needles.
Today, instead, MRI is performed first to determine whether there is a tumor to be biopsied and where it is located in the prostate gland. An MRI examination is therefore absolutely crucial for increased precision in prostate diagnostics and treatment.
For an examination with an MRI, the patient must answer a number of questions as individual metal objects in the body prevent examination. This applies primarily to metals that are magnetic and some implanted electronic equipment, such as older pacemakers.
The patient should be prepared to go into a more than one-meter-deep “tunnel” where the magnetic field is located. Some may experience discomfort from this, such as phobias. Our experienced staff creates calm and security during the examination so that this is not experienced as unnecessary discomfort. In some cases, patients should prepare by fasting and taking a simple enema before the prostate examination. All instructions will be sent to your home in advance.
CT, sometimes also called a layered X-ray, is the method in X-ray diagnostics that is most widely used today.
A CT examination of the abdominal or urinary organs sometimes requires a few hours of fasting. Before the examination, you drink water or contrast fluid. Contrast fluid is also injected into the bloodstream.
A blood test may be needed beforehand to show that kidney function is normal.
The Peritus Clinic’s office and operating room have ultrasound equipment that is used for routine diagnostics as well as for prostate biopsy, using images taken with an MRI. Fusion biopsy, as the method is called, combines the findings on the images from an MRI examination with ultrasound, where images from the MRI are transferred to the ultrasound system and merged, “fused”, with the ultrasound images so that the correct area of the prostate gland is biopsied.
You will get an appointment for a fusion biopsy at your first outpatient visit and all information and what to expect will be addressed at this appointment. The fusion biopsy is most often performed under local anaesthesia.
An ultrasound scan with fusion biopsy takes about 1-2 hours to complete.