My research: a PhD student explains
Karen Middelbo Buch-Olsen
The project examines whether a new scan is better at detecting the spread of prostate cancer, and whether using it affected the time to disease recurrence for patients.
What is the title of your thesis?
Staging of prostate cancer with [18F]PSMA-1007-PET/CT versus Na[18F]F-PET/CT:
Diagnostic accuracy, influence on staging and patient management, and evaluation of patient benefit
Results from the PRISMA-PET trial
At which department and/or research unit did you complete your PhD?
I completed my PhD at the Research Unit of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Odense, and the Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark.
Who was your principal supervisor?
My principal supervisor was Consultant and Clinical Professor Malene Grubbe Hildebrandt.
What question did you aim to answer with your thesis?
I wanted to investigate whether a new type of scan was better at detecting the spread of prostate cancer, and whether using it affected the time until disease recurrence for patients.
What did you find?
We found that the scan was better at detecting lymph node metastases, but not bone metastases. We were not able to demonstrate with certainty a difference in the time until disease recurrence.
How did you do it?
Patients were randomly assigned to either the standard scan or the new scan, and treatment was planned based on the scan results. Some patients underwent both scans, allowing us to compare the two methods directly.
How can your research be applied (in the clinic, society, etc.)?
The new scan has since been introduced as the standard method for detecting the spread of prostate cancer. Our research provides evidence to support that this was the right decision.
When did you defend/when will you defend your thesis?
I will defend my PhD thesis in the Emil Aarestrup Auditorium at Odense University Hospital (OUH) on Friday, 7 August 2026, at 2.30 pm.