Evaluating Synthetic DWI for Prostate Cancer Detection: Optimal TR Selection and Diagnostic Advantages over Conventional DWI

Motivation: Conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) often lacks sufficient contrast between prostate cancer and normal tissue, potentially leading to unnecessary biopsies. Synthetic DWI (syDWI) with optimized settings could improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce false positives. Goal(s): To evaluate the optimal repetition time (TR) settings for syDWI and compare its diagnostic performance with conventional DWI in detecting prostate cancer. Approach: We tested various TR values and used dedicated software to generate syDWI, assessing contrast, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic performance. Results: syDWI with optimized TR significantly improved contrast and lesion detection, enhancing diagnostic accuracy for prostate cancer and potentially reducing unnecessary biopsies. Impact: Optimized synthetic diffusion-weighted imaging improves prostate cancer diagnostic accuracy, enhancing lesion detection and reducing false positives compared to conventional methods. This advancement may minimize unnecessary biopsies and serve as a reliable tool in prostate cancer management.