Research & innovation
Better images, for better decisions
Four lines of work. For each: the problem, what I contributed together with colleagues, and what it means for patients.
Standards
Initiator of PI-RADS
The problem
For a long time, prostate MRI was made and read differently in every centre. Results were hard to compare and hard to trust.
My contribution, with colleagues
In 2012 I took the initiative to describe and publish PI-RADS. Together with my ESUR colleagues I introduced the first version. PI-RADS grew into a standard for prostate MRI used worldwide; later versions were developed further in international collaboration. I also founded the Prostate MR Reference Center in Nijmegen and more recently worked on PI-QUAL version 2 and the PI-CAI study on AI.
What it means for patients
More consistent scans and reports, wherever in the world a patient is examined.
Selected original publications
- ESUR prostate MR guidelines 2012 (Barentsz et al., first author). Eur Radiol 2012 (opens in a new tab)PMID 22322308
- PI-RADS Prostate Imaging – Reporting and Data System: 2015, Version 2. Eur Urol 2016 (opens in a new tab)PMID 26427566
- Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System Version 2.1: 2019 update of PI-RADS Version 2. Eur Urol 2019 (opens in a new tab)PMID 30898406
- PI-RADS Steering Committee: the PI-RADS multiparametric MRI and MRI-directed biopsy pathway. Radiology 2019 (opens in a new tab)PMID 31184561
- PI-QUAL version 2: an update of a standardised scoring system for prostate MRI image quality. Eur Radiol 2024 (opens in a new tab)PMID 38787428
- Artificial intelligence and radiologists in prostate cancer detection on MRI (PI-CAI). Lancet Oncol 2024 (opens in a new tab)PMID 38876123
“Yes we scan.”Evidence
The 4M study
The problem
The classic route — systematic biopsies after a raised PSA — can miss significant cancer and find harmless cancer that leads to overtreatment.
My contribution, with colleagues
With colleagues across Dutch hospitals we compared standard ultrasound-guided biopsy with an MRI-first pathway in men who had not had a biopsy before. The study was reported by van der Leest and colleagues in European Urology (2019).
What it means for patients
Evidence that supports MRI-directed pathways and targeted biopsy, helping to reduce unnecessary procedures.
Watch the talk about the 4M study
The 4M study
How a large Dutch study put MRI before the biopsy, told to the Alpe d'HuZes community.
- Original title
- Alp d'Huzes 2023: "4M" studie
- Occasion
- Alpe d'HuZes 2023
- Year
- 2023
- Language
- Dutch
- Duration
- approx. 18:44
Selected original publications
- Head-to-head comparison of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy versus multiparametric prostate MRI with subsequent MR-guided biopsy in biopsy-naïve men with elevated PSA. Eur Urol 2019 (opens in a new tab)PMID 30477981
- Clinical implementation of pre-biopsy MRI pathways for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. BJU Int 2022 (opens in a new tab)PMID 34358388
- Impact of multiparametric MRI and prostate biopsies on anxiety and quality of life in men with suspected prostate cancer. BJUI Compass 2025 (opens in a new tab)PMID 41111993
Persistence
Ferumoxtran / USPIO MRI
The problem
Small lymph-node metastases are hard to see. Surgery to remove lymph nodes for staging is a burden for patients.
My contribution, with colleagues
Tiny iron oxide particles (ferumoxtran, a USPIO) are taken up by healthy lymph-node tissue, so MRI can show where it is missing. With colleagues I advanced this technique, including MRI–histopathology correlation, 7-tesla imaging and economic modelling.
What it means for patients
A possible non-invasive way to assess lymph nodes — a road that needed a second chance.
Selected original publications (4)
- Noninvasive detection of clinically occult lymph-node metastases in prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2003 (opens in a new tab)PMID 12815134
- Head-to-head comparison of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and ferumoxtran-10-enhanced MRI for lymph node metastases in prostate cancer. J Nucl Med 2021 (opens in a new tab)PMID 33517328
- Small suspicious lymph nodes on ultrahigh-field MRI: first in-patient study on USPIO-enhanced 7T MRI. Eur Urol 2023 (opens in a new tab)PMID 36739192
- Cost-effectiveness of ferumoxtran-enhanced macrophage-specific MRI and PSMA-PET/CT versus ePLND for nodal staging. J Med Econ 2026 (opens in a new tab)PMID 42464573
“In rust we trust. — MUGA: Make USPIO Great Again.”Early research
NanoBioVolt
The problem
Can an injectable nanobattery based on an enzyme and glucose selectively destroy cancer cells?
My contribution, with colleagues
The NanoBioVolt project investigates whether glucose-powered nanobatteries can be used against prostate cancer cells. The technical basis has been laid; experiments with cancer cells are being prepared.
What it means for patients
The project is in the preclinical research phase; whether cancer cells can be selectively destroyed is still being investigated.
Publications and citations
Databases cover different journals and document types, so the numbers differ. They are shown separately, with source and date.
Google Scholar
- h-index 113 · 55,093 citations · i10-index 297 (all time)
- Since 2021: 19,385 citations · h-index 57 · i10-index 171
Source: Google Scholar (opens in a new tab), checked 9 November 2026
Scopus
- h-index 93 · 378 documents
- 38,614 citations from 21,030 citing documents
Source: Scopus (opens in a new tab), checked 9 November 2026
PubMed
- 347 search results for Barentsz J[Author]
- A search result is not the same as an original research article. PubMed gives no h-index.
Source: PubMed (opens in a new tab), checked 9 November 2026
Full publication list
The complete, up-to-date list is kept in the external databases below and in the CV.