Scientists have developed a "game changing" test to detect prostate cancer that avoids patients having to undergo an invasive procedure.
The new 15-minute scan means men do not have to be given an invasive rectal examination, according to researchers.
The prostagram treatment trialled by doctors at Imperial College London uses MRI, similar to breast cancer screening for women.
Four hundred volunteers aged between 50 and 69 were tested using the scanning method as well as the standard prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
The prostogram was found to be better at detecting aggressive cancers than PSA in the four per cent of volunteers who needed treatment.
Around 50,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with the disease each year, and one in eight will get the condition in their lifetime.
The development has been hailed as a "game changer" by senior author, Professor Hashim Ahmed.
He said: "The number of aggressive prostate cancers missed by PSA highlights the importance of ramping up our research efforts into alternative ways to screen for prostate cancer."
Imperial College research fellow Dr David Eldred-Evans described the test as a "non-invasive, safe and more acceptable way to test men for prostate cancer".
He added: "Unfortunately men can often be put off from seeking medical advice for prostate issues because they are worried about the need for a rectal examination."
He hopes the breakthrough "may encourage more men to have a prostate health check".
