OnQ Prostate AI: Better Prostate Cancer Detection With Every MRI

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men — and the second leading cause of cancer death. Early, accurate detection makes all the difference between curative treatment and advanced disease. Advanced Medical Imaging is proud to introduce OnQ Prostate from Cortechs.ai — an FDA-cleared AI software that takes prostate MRI to a new level of accuracy.

The Challenge With Standard Prostate MRI

Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is already the gold standard for prostate cancer evaluation, far superior to PSA-guided biopsy alone. The American Cancer Society recognizes MRI as a critical tool in the prostate cancer diagnostic pathway. But even with mpMRI, reading prostate images involves real variability between radiologists.

The PI-RADS scoring system (1–5) guides clinical decisions, but inter-reader agreement — particularly for intermediate PI-RADS 3 lesions — is imperfect. These are exactly the cases where the call is hardest and the stakes are highest. Missing clinically significant cancer means delayed treatment. Over-calling benign tissue means unnecessary biopsies, anxiety, and cost. That gap is what OnQ is designed to close.

What Is OnQ Prostate?

OnQ Prostate is an FDA-cleared software solution built on Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI) — a patented, advanced diffusion MRI technique developed at UC San Diego through decades of research. Unlike standard diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), RSI is specifically engineered to suppress the signal from benign tissue — glandular elements, inflammation, and stromal tissue — while preserving and amplifying the signal from cancer cells.

The result: cancer stands out from surrounding tissue with dramatically greater conspicuity.

Key clinical capabilities:

• Detection and prediction of clinically significant cancer with improved sensitivity
• Improved tumor conspicuity — cancerous areas appear more clearly distinct from benign tissue
• Stronger histopathology correlation based on Gleason Score — the grading system that determines cancer aggressiveness and drives treatment decisions
• Improved PI-RADS accuracy and inter-reader agreement — more consistent, reproducible reads across radiologists
• Enhanced biopsy targeting — clearer spatial localization of suspicious regions guides where the needle goes

Why This Matters for Your Care

Every year, hundreds of thousands of American men undergo prostate biopsies. Many are unnecessary — triggered by elevated PSA without true clinically significant cancer. Many others miss the actual cancer because biopsy targeting was imprecise.

OnQ changes this calculation. When the radiologist can see the cancer more clearly, and when the read is more consistent and reproducible, clinical decisions improve across the board:

• Fewer unnecessary biopsies — men with genuinely low-risk findings can be safely monitored instead of biopsied
• Better biopsy targeting — the urologist knows exactly where to focus, improving detection rates for the biopsies that are performed
• More confident active surveillance — men with known low-risk prostate cancer on active surveillance have a more sensitive monitoring tool, detecting progression earlier

For men on active surveillance, OnQ provides an objective, quantitative baseline. Each follow-up MRI can be compared directly — detecting subtle changes before PSA or clinical exam would raise concern.

Category I CPT Codes — Reimbursable

Prostate MRI with advanced post-processing is a reimbursable service. Category I CPT codes exist for multiparametric prostate MRI, enabling insurance coverage. Talk to your urologist or call our office to verify your coverage before scheduling.

The AMI Prostate MRI Protocol

AMI's prostate MRI program uses a comprehensive multiparametric protocol combined with OnQ Prostate AI post-processing. Our board-certified radiologist generates a structured report that includes:

• Standard mpMRI findings with PI-RADS scoring per the ACR PI-RADS v2.1 guidelines
• OnQ RSI overlay with cancer conspicuity maps
• Lesion size, precise location, and zone (peripheral zone vs. transition zone)
• Zonal staging assessment
• Structured guidance for urologist review and biopsy targeting if indicated

Who Should Get a Prostate MRI With OnQ?

• Men with elevated PSA (above 4.0 ng/mL, or a rising trend over time)
• Men with prior negative biopsy but continued clinical suspicion or rising PSA
• Men with known prostate cancer on active surveillance (monitoring for progression)
• Men with family history of prostate cancer considering earlier, more precise screening
• Men whose urologist has recommended MRI before biopsy (MRI-fusion guided biopsy)
• Men with high-grade PIN or atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) on prior biopsy

Connecting With Your Urologist

OnQ is designed to bridge the gap between radiologists and urologists. The color-coded RSI maps and structured reporting make it easy for your urologist to review findings, understand the spatial distribution of suspicious areas, and plan the next step — whether that is MRI-fusion biopsy, continued surveillance, or treatment referral.

AMI works closely with urology practices across the Seminole and greater Tampa Bay area. If your urologist has ordered a prostate MRI, or if you would like to discuss whether prostate MRI is appropriate for your situation, we are here to help.

Schedule Your Prostate MRI at AMI

OnQ Prostate AI is now available at Advanced Medical Imaging. Same-week appointments. Board-certified reads. Transparent pricing.

Call (727) 398-5999 or schedule online.

Curious about how MRI compares to other imaging? Visit our patient education center for answers to common questions.