A Faster MRI Scan May Be Just as Accurate for Detecting Prostate Cancer

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important tool for diagnosing prostate cancer. However, the standard MRI examination is relatively time-consuming, expensive, and requires the use of an intravenous contrast dye.

Researchers from 22 medical centers in 12 countries studied whether a shorter MRI scan—called biparametric MRI (bpMRI)—could perform as well as the standard multiparametric MRI (mpMRI).

The results were encouraging. The shorter MRI detected clinically significant prostate cancer just as accurately as the standard examination. It was equally effective at identifying cancers that require treatment while avoiding the diagnosis of low-risk cancers that may never become harmful.

A faster MRI is quicker, less expensive, and does not require contrast dye, it could make prostate MRI more widely available while reducing healthcare costs.

If these findings are adopted into clinical practice, many men may be able to receive faster, simpler MRI examinations without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy.

JAMA. 2026.