Overview of imaging used to guide management for prostate and bladder malignancy

Abstract

This article aims to present updates and review current practise on the main imaging modalities used in diagnosis of bladder and prostate cancer and provide this to readers. Patients diagnosed with or having treatment for a urological cancer are a huge part of any urological nurses' rota or clinical responsibilities, particularly now in an era of ever changing and improving diagnosis and management options. In this manuscript a practical overview of imaging is given to influence a fuller understanding of therapeutic management in prostate and bladder malignancies. For the purpose of this article there is only a focus on imaging in terms of diagnosis and staging purposes. It is hoped that detailed use of imaging in radiotherapy and brachytherapy for planning and treatment verification will be the subject of a separate paper but, for now, it is briefly mentioned for readers that may be less familiar with radiation oncology. Discussion and overview of imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of prostate and bladder cancer will improve understanding for urology nurses, especially junior career nurses.