Disease Detection Rate of Combination Ga-68 PSMA-PET/CT and Whole-Body MRI in Biochemical Recurrence After Prostatectomy

Motivation: Varying imaging strategies are used in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after prostatectomy. Timely detection facilitates early intervention and can direct therapy based upon type and location of recurrence. Goal(s): To estimate the added contribution of Whole-Body MRI to PSMA-PET/CT in prostatectomy patients with BCR. Approach: Retrospective analysis of n=48 PSMA-PET/CT and subsequent Whole-Body MRI scans in patients with BCR. Detection and type of recurrence were recorded for each modality as well as PSA values. Results: WB-MRI significantly increased the disease detection rate compared to PSMA-PET/CT alone in cases of BCR from 29% to 52% overall (p=0.001). Impact: Our work demonstrates the added value of MRI as an addition to PET/CT scans in the context of BCR, as well as some of the limitations of PET/CT alone. Further research needs to be done in a larger patient population.