UroNav®

Once again, Bellin Health has taken the lead in bringing innovation and breakthrough care to Northeast Wisconsin, this time with technology, called UroNav®, that combines the benefits of a MRI with ultrasound to create a detailed, 3-D view of the prostate. By allowing physicians to see the prostate in this way, they can identify suspicious areas, and then target them for biopsy. This increases the likelihood of finding cancer if it’s present, and lowers the number of samples that have to be taken.

The Procedure

Step One in this process is the MRI, which requires little prep work; the MRI itself is safe, non-invasive and painless. We do draw some blood to make sure that it’s safe to inject contrast media, a dye that allows us to see images of the prostate.

Step Two is the placement of a light-weight antenna over your pelvis for the purpose of visualizing the prostate gland. This stays in place for the duration of the MRI.

Step Three is the scan, itself, which lasts for about 45 minutes. It is not uncommon for patients to actually doze off during this phase. When it’s over, you’re ready to go home.

The MRI will yield pictures that can identify lesions in the prostate that might be cancerous. If the MRI doesn’t find suspicious lesions, you’ll simply return to regular care and will not have a biopsy.

If there is a lesion that’s of concern, you may be a candidate for a biopsy using UroNav® — a new technology that’s now available at Bellin Health.

The UroNav procedure is performed while the patient is completely awake. There is usually no need for sedation, with the exception of a local anesthetic delivered directly to the prostate area.

The Benefits of UroNav

  • Provides a 3-D view of the prostate, clarity that is otherwise unavailable
  • Incorporates a GPS-like system to guide the biopsy needle to suspicious areas
  • Reduces the number of tissue samples taken from the prostate
  • Reduces discomfort
  • Improves accuracy
  • Reduces the risk of overlooking a tumor
  • Improves diagnosis, which leads to better treatment options and outcomes
  • Gives peace of mind

Your Gleason Score

Your biopsy samples will be sent to a lab so that a pathologist can examine them under a microscope to see if they contain cancer cells.

If cancer is present, the pathologist will also assign it a grade according to the Gleason system. The higher your Gleason score, the more likely it is that your cancer will grow and spread quickly.

  • Cancers with a Gleason score of 6 or less are called well differentiated or low-grade.
  • Cancers with a Gleason score of 7 are called moderately differentiated or intermediate-grade.
  • Cancers with Gleason scores of 8 to 10 may be called poorly differentiated or high-grade.

Get the full picture for yourself. For more information download this brochure.