Patient preparation effect on prostate and bladder MRI

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The effect of patient preparation on the quality of prostate and bladder MRI

• IRAS ID

  194795

• Contact name

  Tristan Barrett

• Sponsor organisation

  Cambridge University Hospitals

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 10 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  There is no consensus on patient preparation prior to bladder or prostate MRI. Optimal bladder distension is important in the assessment of bladder tumours: over-distention risks underestimating flat lesions, under-distension risks collapsed bladder mucosa mimicking tumour. Previous work has also shown that bladder filling can alter prostate position, this may therefore affect radiotherapy planning for prostate cancer. The drinking and/or voiding preparation necessary to achieve optimal distension is therefore key in obtaining diagnostic bladder MR images and potential for prostate radiotherapy patient planning. For prostate MRI, optimal assessment of stage T3b-disease requires maximal seminal distension, although some advocate refraining from ejaculation prior to imaging, there is currently no published data supporting such preparation.

  We intend to investigate the effect of patient preparation on bladder volume, seminal vesicle volume and prostate in 15 healthy male volunteers. We intend to employ four different patient drinking/voiding combinations in order to establish the ideal protocol. Volunteers will be scheduled to undergo 4 short MRI examinations at Addenbrooke’s hospital on consecutive days.

  This evidence base will help inform the ideal preparation protocols and would provide a basis for further investigation in patients prior to prostate and bladder MRI and/or external beam radiotherapy to the prostate.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/YH/0570

• Date of REC Opinion

  18 Dec 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion