A Review of Research Progress and Challenges in Deep Learning for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer
Download PDF

Keywords

Prostate cancer
Magnetic resonance imaging
Deep learning
Computer-aided diagnosis

DOI

10.26689/otd.v4i2.15406

Submitted : 2026-06-10
Accepted : 2026-06-25
Published : 2026-07-10

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a highly prevalent malignant tumor among men worldwide, and its precise diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving patient prognosis. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, as a core imaging modality, is widely used in clinical practice. In recent years, breakthroughs in deep learning technology have provided powerful tools for the intelligent analysis of MRI images, promoting the development of automated and precise diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer. This article aims to systematically review the current applications of deep learning in the field of prostate cancer MRI, covering key directions such as lesion detection and segmentation, diagnosis and grading, prognosis prediction, and imaging genomics correlation. The article provides an in-depth analysis of current mainstream models, the challenges related to data and validation, and offers insights into future trends, with the goal of providing references for related research and clinical practice.

References

Yang L, Zhang T, Liu S, et al., 2025, Diagnostic Performance of Multiparametric MRI for the Detection of Suspected Prostate Cancer in Biopsy-Naive Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Academic Radiology, 32(1): 260–274.

Dias AB, Woo S, Leni R, et al., 2024, Is MRI Ready to Replace Biopsy During Active Surveillance? European Radiology, 34(12): 7716–7727.

Kour T, Raina JK, Gondhi NK, et al., 2026, Transformative Impact of Deep Learning and Machine Learning in Oncology: A Comprehensive Review of AI-Based Approaches for Early Detection, Diagnosis and Therapeutics Across Different Cancer Types. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 33(3): 3449–3474.

He M, Cao Y, Chi C, et al., 2023, Research Progress on Deep Learning in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer: A Review on the Current Status and Perspectives. Frontiers in Oncology, 13: 1189370.

Lai CC, Wang HK, Wang FN, et al., 2021, Autosegmentation of Prostate Zones and Cancer Regions from Biparametric Magnetic Resonance Images by Using Deep-Learning-Based Neural Networks. Sensors, 21(8): 2709.

Cao R, Mohammadian Bajgiran A, Afshari Mirak S, Shakeri S, Zhong X, Enzmann D, Raman S, Sung K, 2019, Joint Prostate Cancer Detection and Gleason Score Prediction in mp-MRI via FocalNet. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 38(11): 2496–2506.

Pickersgill NA, Shiang AL, Vetter JM, et al., 2025, Diagnostic Accuracy of Biparametric vs. Multiparametric MRI for Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer. World Journal of Urology, 43(1): 577.

Zhu B, Jiang H, Zhang C, et al., 2026, Machine Learning Approaches for Predicting Progression in Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients. Frontiers in Oncology, 16: 1704671.

Chen X, Wang X, Zhang K, et al., 2022, Recent Advances and Clinical Applications of Deep Learning in Medical Image Analysis. Medical Image Analysis, 79: 102444.

Wei C, Liu Z, Zhang Y, et al., 2025, Enhancing Prostate Cancer Segmentation in bpMRI: Integrating Zonal Awareness into Attention-Guided U-Net. Digital Health, 11: 20552076251314546.

Hong S, Kim SH, Yoo B, et al., 2023, Deep Learning Algorithm for Tumor Segmentation and Discrimination of Clinically Significant Cancer in Patients with Prostate Cancer. Current Oncology, 30(8): 7275–7285.

Oka R, Li B, Kato S, et al., 2025, Computer-Aided Diagnosis Based on 3D Deep Convolutional Neural Network System Using Novel 3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences for High-Grade Prostate Cancer. Current Urology, 19(5): 309–313.

Taguelmimt K, Andrade-Miranda G, Harb H, et al., 2025, Towards More Reliable Prostate Cancer Detection: Incorporating Clinical Data and Uncertainty in MRI Deep Learning. Computers in Biology and Medicine, 194: 110440.

Hamm CA, Baumgärtner GL, Biessmann F, et al., 2023, Interactive Explainable Deep Learning Model Informs Prostate Cancer Diagnosis at MRI. Radiology, 307(4): e222276.

T JMC, Arif M, Niessen WJ, et al., 2020, Automated Classification of Significant Prostate Cancer on MRI: A Systematic Review on the Performance of Machine Learning Applications. Cancers, 12(6): 1606.

Zhou W, Liu Z, Zhang J, et al., 2025, Interpretable Multiparametric MRI Radiomics-Based Machine Learning Model for Preoperative Differentiation Between Benign and Malignant Prostate Masses: A Diagnostic, Multicenter Study. Frontiers in Oncology, 15: 1541618.

Zhang YF, Zhou C, Guo S, et al., 2024, Deep Learning Algorithm-Based Multimodal MRI Radiomics and Pathomics Data Improve Prediction of Bone Metastases in Primary Prostate Cancer. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 150(2): 78.

Bashkanov O, Engelage L, Behnel N, et al., 2025, Multimodal Data Fusion with Irregular PSA Kinetics for Automated Prostate Cancer Grading. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, 124: 102625.

Yang C, Li B, Luan Y, et al., 2024, Deep Learning Model for the Detection of Prostate Cancer and Classification of Clinically Significant Disease Using Multiparametric MRI in Comparison to PI-RADS Score. Urologic Oncology, 42(5): 158.e17–158.e27.

Stevenson E, Esengur OT, Zhang H, et al., 2025, An Overview of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Localized Prostate Cancer Imaging. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 22(4): 293–310.

Liu M, Li L, Rais-Bahrami S, et al., 2025, Artificial Intelligence in Prostate Cancer: Navigating the New Frontier of Precision Uro-Oncology. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Urology, 13(5): 348–359.

Valizadeh G, Morafegh M, Fatemi F, et al., 2025, Enhancing Prostate Cancer Classification: A Comprehensive Review of Multiparametric MRI and Deep Learning Integration. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 62(6): 1603–1648.

Singla A, Deep N, Naik S, et al., 2023, Correlation of Multiparametric MRI with Histopathological Grade of Peripheral Zone Prostate Carcinoma. Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics, 19(Suppl 2): S569–S576.

Ramatikov Y, Nikolova P, Ilcheva M, et al., 2025, Combined 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI Findings Improve Tumor Localization and Biopsy Guidance in the Initial Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer. Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy, 34(2): 146–148.