MRI
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses magnets rather than X-rays to create a detailed picture of your prostate and surrounding tissues. You may have an MRI if there is a risk of your cancer spreading and you are considering active treatment options such as radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.
You will need to take off any jewellery or metal items that could be attracted to the magnet. You will also be asked questions about your health and whether you have any implants, such as a heart pacemaker, to make sure the scan does not harm you.
Some MRI scanners are doughnut-shaped like a CT scanner. Other MRI scanners are shaped like a long tunnel so much more of the machine covers your body than in a CT scanner. Ask which type of machine is used at your hospital so you know what to expect. If you suffer from a fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), you should let the scanning department know as soon as possible.
You will be asked to lie on a table which passes into the tunnel and you may feel totally enclosed. Some people can find this claustrophobic but the staff are aware of this and will help you if you become uncomfortable during the scan. The radiographer may decide to give you an injection of a dye during the scan, if they think that this will help improve the pictures taken by the scanner.
The scan takes between 30 and 40 minutes. The machine is very noisy but you will not feel anything. You can speak to the staff through a microphone and you may be able to listen to music. You can take a friend or family member into the room with you while you have the scan if you would like.
A personal experience
The MRI was a bit claustrophobic and hot and the machine was very noisy. I took a CD of ‘Proms in the Park’ but for quite a bit of the 40 minutes I was in the machine, the noises were louder than the music’.
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