Huge funding for prostate cancer research in Düsseldorf: New ways to diagnose!

Huge funding for prostate cancer research in Düsseldorf: New ways to diagnose!

On August 18, 2025, prostate cancer research in Germany will be advanced by a newly funded study at the University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) and the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU). The German Cancer Aid is providing 1.6 million euros for this purpose. This funding is carried out in close collaboration with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).

At the center of Dr. Rouvier Al-Monajjed and Prof. Dr. Lars Schimmöller's study focuses on MRI-assisted biopsy. The study is entitled “PRIMA” (randomized, prospective multicenter study for the primary diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer using PSA/DRE and MR imaging) and aims to significantly improve the diagnostic options for prostate cancer.

Aims and methodology of the PRIMA study

The PRIMA study is investigating whether an MRI-assisted biopsy is sufficient to detect malignant prostate cancer without having to carry out additional systematic biopsies. This could help reduce the overdiagnosis of harmless tumors. Additional objectives include examining patient reports of diagnostic burden, potential complications, and quality of life.

For the first time, an artificial intelligence (AI) system is being integrated into the diagnosis, while the influence of contrast agent administration in the MRI is also being analyzed. Several clinics from North Rhine-Westphalia, including Aachen, Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Essen and Bochum/Herne, are involved in the study.

The role of AI in prostate cancer diagnostics

The DKFZ plays a central role in the implementation of the study, particularly through the departments for personalized early detection and biostatistics. The study could have a significant impact on future guidelines for prostate cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and is challenging to diagnose.

In addition to the PRIMA study, which focuses on MRI-assisted biopsy, scientists from the DKFZ and the Heidelberg University Urological Clinic are conducting a retrospective study to improve risk prediction for prostate cancer. A combination of risk markers, systematic assessment of MRI images and AI are examined.

In men at low risk, a biopsy may not be necessary. An elevated PSA value, which may indicate prostate cancer, is further investigated using multiparametric MRI. This method combines different imaging techniques to produce detailed images and prevent potentially invasive biopsies.

The researchers use a risk calculator that takes PSA levels, age, prostate volume and MRI findings into account. Studies show that the algorithm developed at the DKFZ in combination with AI and the PI-RADS system can identify 49% of men at minimal risk, which could have avoided almost half of the biopsies.

Overall, these innovative approaches and technologies could help to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer and thus improve the quality of life of many affected people. While the PRIMA study opens new perspectives, it remains to be seen how these developments will be integrated into clinical practice.

For more information about the study and the role of AI in prostate cancer diagnostics, see the reports from hhu.de, mainradiologie.de and krebs-nachrichten.de.