Prostate cancer has a more precise detection method – most men just don't know it yet
- By
- June 17 2025
- 3 min read
Raising awareness on a more targeted method this Men’s Health Month: You can do everything right – and still be misdiagnosed or overtreated. That’s the frustrating reality many men face with prostate cancer. It’s the second most common cancer in men. Yet, despite its prevalence, many men are unaware of the advanced techniques that are revolutionizing prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment selection.
At-a-glance:
- There is a more precise detection method for prostate cancer that many men are unaware of.
- Standard detection methods like PSA tests and TRUS-guided biopsies often miss aggressive cancers or wrongly identify low-risk ones, leading to 40% of aggressive cancers being undertreated1 and 50% of insignificant cancers being overtreatment.2
- Philips is leading the way in precision diagnostics for prostate cancer care, integrating imaging, targeted biopsy, AI-enhanced pathology and personalized planning.
A longstanding challenge
During their annual checkups, many men undergo a PSA test, which can lead to a biopsy if levels are high. The standard prostate cancer detection method has been a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy. However, TRUS prostate biopsies are often imprecise, with the ability to detect only 30-41% of cancers.3 This method can miss aggressive cancers or identify low-risk ones that do not require treatment.
Studies have shown that:
Up to 40% of aggressive prostate cancers are undertreated4 due to inaccurate risk profiling.
Up to 50% of insignificant prostate cancers are overtreated.5
This June, in honor of Men’s Health Month, we aim to highlight how advances in prostate cancer diagnosis can help patients and clinicians choose a personalized approach to treatment using the latest in imaging, digital pathology and AI.
A better pathway is already here
Today, prostate cancer care is shifting toward precision diagnostics that integrate imaging, targeted biopsy, AI-enhanced pathology and personalized planning. And Philips is leading the way.
Here’s how precision becomes practice.
mpMRI with DynaCAD Prostate: High-resolution scans segment suspicious lesions and assign PI-RADS scores to guide targeted action before the biopsy.
MRI/Ultrasound Fusion Biopsy via UroNav: Philips UroNav system fuses MRI and real-time ultrasound, guiding urologists to precisely sample areas of concern identified on mpMRI – improving diagnostic accuracy and confidence in each core taken.6
Digital Pathology + AI: Tissues are digitized using scanners and analyzed by the pathologist using AI tools which can bring additional insights such detect patterns and assign Gleason grades with higher consistency than manual reads.
DynaCAD Urology + 3D Visualization: Biopsy data, imaging and pathology are visualized together – enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration and precise treatment planning, including focal therapy where appropriate.
From a patient’s first PSA test to the final treatment decision, Philips is redefining the prostate care journey.
A call to elevate awareness – this month and beyond
One in six men in the U.S.7 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime – yet awareness of advanced diagnostic techniques remains low.
This Men’s Health Month, we urge healthcare leaders, clinicians and patients to learn more about a more precise pathway to prostate cancer detection.
If you’re a patient:
Ask your doctor about mpMRI, fusion-guided biopsy and digital pathology.
If you’re over 50, have a rising PSA or a family history – explore next-gen screening options.
If you’re a clinician:
Discover how Philips’ prostate solution improves detection, diagnostic certainty and care planning.
Contact us here to learn more.
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Footnotes
- Sonn GA, et al. Targeted biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer using an office based magnetic resonance ultrasound fusion device. J Urol. 2013 Jan;189(1):86-91. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.095. Epub 2012 Nov 14. PMID: 23158413; PMCID: PMC3561472.
- Loeb S, et al. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer. Eur Urol. 2014 Jun;65(6):1046-55. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2013.12.062.
- Choi YH, et al. Comparison of cancer detection rates between TRUS-guided biopsy and MRI-targeted biopsy according to PSA level in biopsy-naive patients: a propensity score matching analysis. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2019 Feb;17(1):e19-e25. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2018.09.007. Epub 2018 Sep 13. PMID: 30415878.
- Sonn GA, et al. Targeted biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer using an office based magnetic resonance ultrasound fusion device. J Urol. 2013 Jan;189(1):86-91. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.095. Epub 2012 Nov 14. PMID: 23158413; PMCID: PMC3561472.
- Loeb S, et al. Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer. Eur Urol. 2014 Jun;65(6):1046-55. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2013.12.062.
- Sonn GA, et al. Targeted biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer using an office based magnetic resonance ultrasound fusion device. J Urol. 2013 Jan;189(1):86-91. Siddiqui MM, et al. Comparison of MR/ultrasound fusion–guided biopsy with ultrasound-guided biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. JAMA. 2015;313(4):390-397.
- WHO Cancer fact sheet No 297. & American Cancer Society & SEER.
Disclaimer
The opinions and clinical experiences presented herein are specific to the featured topics and are not linked to any specific patient and are for information purposes only. The medical experience(s) derived from these topics may not be predictive of all patients. Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors. Nothing in this article is intended to provide specific medical advice or to take the place of written law or regulations.