Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become integral to diagnosing and managing patients with suspected or confirmed prostate cancer. However, the benefits of utilizing MRI can be hindered by quality issues during imaging acquisition, interpretation, and reporting. As the utilization of prostate MRI continues to increase in clinical practice, the variability in MRI quality and how it can negatively impact patient care have become apparent. The American College of Radiology (ACR) has recognized this challenge and developed several initiatives to address the issue of inconsistent MRI quality and ensure that imaging centers deliver high-quality patient care. These initiatives include the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS), developed in collaboration with an international panel of experts and members of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR), the Prostate MR Image Quality Improvement Collaborative, which is part of the ACR Learning Network, the ACR Prostate Cancer MRI Center Designation, and the ACR Appropriateness Criteria. In this article, we will discuss the importance of these initiatives in establishing quality assurance and quality control programs for prostate MRI and how they can improve patient outcomes.
European journal of radiology. 2023 Jun 17 [Epub ahead of print]
Andrei S Purysko, Clare Tempany, Katarzyna J Macura, Baris Turkbey, Andrew B Rosenkrantz, Rajan T Gupta, Lauren Attridge, Dina Hernandez, Kandice Garcia-Tomkins, Mythreyi Bhargavan-Chatfield, Jeffrey Weinreb, David B Larson
Section of Abdominal Imaging and Nuclear Radiology Department, Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. Electronic address: ., Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA., The Russel H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA., Molecular Imaging Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA., NYU Grossman School of Medicine, USA., Departments of Radiology and Surgery and Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA., American College of Radiology, Reston, VA, USA., Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA., Department of Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.