Does a prostate MRI need a contrast injection?

Not necessarily, and ours doesn't use one: no injection, no IV line, no gadolinium. It's a bi-parametric MRI, which means it combines two types of images, T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted. Research has found it as accurate as a contrast MRI, and it's the kind of scan used in prostate screening studies.

If you have a strong family history of prostate cancer or a known genetic risk, a contrast MRI may suit you better. And if your scan shows something that needs a closer look, you can still have one afterwards.