New MRI technique could sharply improve prostate cancer detection

NCT ID NCT02526368

Recruiting now Diagnosis Sponsor: Ivan de Kouchkovsky, MD Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This early-phase trial is testing whether a special MRI scan, using hyperpolarized pyruvate and urea, can better detect high-grade prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate. About 80 men scheduled for prostate removal will receive an IV of these substances before imaging. The goal is to see if the scan can tell aggressive cancer from low-grade cancer or benign tissue, potentially leading to more accurate diagnoses and fewer unnecessary biopsies.

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 and Hyperpolarized 13C,15N2-urea
What this could lead to: If successful, this imaging method could help doctors identify aggressive prostate cancers more accurately, possibly reducing unnecessary biopsies and treatments.
What could go wrong: This is a very early pilot study with only 80 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The technique is experimental and not yet proven to improve outcomes.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

prostate cancer prostate carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

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

LOCALIZED PROSTATE CARCINOMA PROSTATE CANCER

Contacts and locations

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Locations

University of California, San Francisco
RECRUITING

San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

Contact Email: •••••@•••••

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