How time flies! I can hardly believe it’s been over 10 years since I posted a blog on making 3 Tesla (3T) multiparametric MRI (3T mpMRI) more accessible. Back then, the vast majority of hospitals and imaging centers were still equipped with weaker 1.5T magnets. 3T magnets were more sparsely located, but the Sperling Prostate Center was already an early adopter of 3T mpMRI and we are equipped with 3T MRI.
Though 1.5T magnets are still more prevalent today, the availability of 3T MRI is greater and still growing because it has definite advantages. While 1.5T magnets are still considered the most cost-effective workhorse of routine MRI scans, when comparing 3T vs. 1.5T magnets, 3T magnets offer the highest image clarity available. True, 1.5T equipment is less expensive to install, maintain and use so it is more affordable. For more complex anatomic structures, however, 3T magnets outperform 1.5T equipment.
As one website notes, 3T is preferred for
- Brain tissue
- Spine
- Soft joint tissue
- Blood vessels
- Prostate or breast structures (emphasis mine).
5T magnets undergoing testing
Now a new contender for best prostate imaging is being tested: 5T mpMRI, with ultra-high-field magnet strength. A Chinese team recently compared 5T vs 3T MRI systems for prostate imaging.[i] Their study included 67 consecutive patients with suspected prostate cancer (PCa). All patients underwent both scanning types, then biopsy and prostatectomy in order to evaluate imaging against actual specimens.
Two radiologists were double-blinded to both the biopsy/prostatectomy data, and to each other’s reading of the images. I think the team’s findings will come as no surprise. The authors wrote that due to the elevated field strength, “5 T MRI demonstrated superior image quality and enhanced visualization of prostatic anatomical structures, including prostatic capsule, seminal vesicle and neurovascular bundles. The lesion delineation was significantly improved in 5 T MRI.”
High magnetic field strengths are safe
While there is little doubt that very high magnetic field strength produces better imaging results, I do not anticipate that 5T MRI will quickly become a new standard. There are many economic and logistic hurdles to overcome, and very few research centers currently have them. An imaging center in the Netherlands has even conducted clinical investigation using 7T MRI for prostate imaging[ii], which is even less likely to appear in routine diagnostic practice.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) it noteworthy for its safety in comparison with conventional radiation with its scatter effects and risk of secondary cancer. To date, there are no known biological effects or harm to cellular or molecular structures in the body. However, during a scan at 5T or 7T field strength, patients report occasional dizziness, metallic taste, seeing flashes of light or other minor effects.[iii]
For now, 3T multiparametric MRI is the new gold standard for prostate imaging. At our Center, we embrace the highest clinical standards as we apply 3T mpMRI for the detection, diagnosis, and MRI-guided focal therapy for localized prostate cancer. Our standard of excellence continues to maintain our status as a top tier prostate imaging center.
While there’s no way to be sure that 5T magnets will be the wave of the future, if we ever upgrade to a 5T magnet, you can be sure we’ll announce the news in our blog.
NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.
References
[i] Xiong T, Shen L, Fan Y, Jiang M et al. 5 T versus 3 T MRI for prostate cancer: an intra-individual prospective comparison of image quality and diagnostic performance. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2026 Jan 20.
[ii] Steensma BR, Luttje M, Voogt IJ, Klomp DWJ et al. Comparing signal-to-noise ratio for prostate imaging at 7T and 3T. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2019 May;49(5):1446-1455.
[iii] Oh S, Kim S, Jeong WK, Choi SI. MRI Safety in the Era of Ultra-High Field Systems: Challenges, Innovations, and National Imperatives. Investig Magn Reson Imaging. 2025 Jun;29(2):84-95.
About Dr. Dan Sperling
Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Prostate Center.
