How and when should radiologists report T-staging on MRI in patients with prostate cancer?

Abstract

In the UK, pre-biopsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) forms an integral part of the prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostic pathway, providing critical information for lesion detection and local staging (1). While the reporting of the likelihood of clinically significant disease has been standardised through the development of Prostate Imaging and Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS), there is currently no consensus on the reporting of PCa local staging on MRI. In centres with access to high quality MRI, radiological staging has effectively replaced digital rectal examination-based clinical staging for informing management decisions, therefore developing a uniform approach towards its reporting that aligns with the current urological (1) and pathological (2) guidelines is of high practical value.