The PRIME trial, published in JAMA, confirms that a two-part MRI scan is just as effective at diagnosing prostate cancer, while cutting scan time to just 15–20 minutes and reducing the need for a doctor to be present.

The investigators say the results are likely to lead to changes in clinical practice, making MRI accessible to more men in the UK and beyond.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 56,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths each year in the UK. The introduction of MRI scans over the last decade, following work by UCL researchers, has been the biggest change in how prostate cancer is diagnosed for the past 30 years.