Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Metabolic MRI could spot prostate cancer without a needle

NCT ID NCT04698564

Diagnosis Sponsor: University of Maryland, Baltimore Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a new type of MRI scan that uses a special contrast agent called hyperpolarized pyruvate to see how prostate cells use energy. The goal is to safely distinguish cancerous from normal tissue in men with suspected or known prostate cancer. Participants receive the injection and undergo metabolic MRI before their planned biopsy or surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Hyperpolarized 13C-Pyruvate injection, a contrast agent for metabolic MRI
What this could lead to
If successful, this imaging technique could provide a non-invasive way to detect and risk-stratify prostate cancer, potentially reducing unnecessary biopsies.
What could go wrong
This is a very small pilot study with only 4 participants, so results may not generalize. The scan's accuracy compared to standard biopsy is still unknown.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

4 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2020

Finished

Dec 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 to 80 years

Sex

Male participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age greater than 40 and less than 80 years 2. Clinical suspicion or history of prostate cancer reflected by one of the following: * PSA \> 4ng/ml * Abnormal DRE exam * Known tissue diagnosis of prostate cancer from prior workup 3. Patient planning to undergo either a MRI targeted biopsy or radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer workup or treatment Exclusion Criteria: 1. Inability to undergo MRI scan 2. Inability to receive IV contrast as per institutional protocol.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Prostate cancer are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

prostate cancer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Prostate cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Maryland Medical Center

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.