Doctors at Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City can be seen performing MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsies at a aworkshop on February 12. — Photo courstey of the hospital

HCM CITY —  Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City is the first hospital in the country to use an MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy to improve the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis.

The MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy combines a specialised magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with an ultrasound image to help guide urologists to precisely target the area of the prostate that needs to be biopsied. It also allows doctors to track the movement of the patient's prostate and pinpoint which area of tissue to sample.

Dr Đỗ Anh Toàn of the hospital said the approach helps find missed diseases or even lethal diseases, and reduces overdetection or false positives.

The hospital on February 12 held a training workshop to share experiences in performing this technique for its doctors and counterparts at other hospitals in the city. At the workshop, the hospital’s doctors also performed the technique on two patients demonstrated via a large screen.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men aged more than 50.

Most patients with prostate cancer in Việt Nam often visit hospitals for examination and treatment in the late stages when cancerous tumours have already spread to or invaded other organs, according to the hospital. The cure rate is low at a late stage.

If the cancer is detected at an early stage, the 10-year survival rate can be up to 85 per cent. 

The hospital each year performs biopsies on more than 1,000 patients, with results in 24 hours, which helps to detect cancer in the early stage. Its doctors use robots to assist surgeries to remove the prostate gland. — VNS