INTRODUCTION: Transrectal ultrasound is utilized as an auxiliary tool when performing a prostate biopsy, but its sensitivity and specificity are low. Performing prostate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) before prostate biopsy can increase the probability to detect aggressive prostate cancer while decreasing the probability to detect indolent prostate cancer, thereby assisting in the selection of patients before the biopsy. The Israel Basket of Health Services does not include prostate mpMRI prior to the first prostate biopsy. Our objective was to examine the significance of performing mpMRI before prostate biopsy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the demographic, clinical, and pathological data from men who underwent transrectal biopsy of the prostate in the last 30 months in our institute. In all men with suspicious findings on mpMRI, targeted biopsies were taken in addition to systematic biopsies. We considered cancer as clinically significant if the Gleason sum was 7 or above. Fisher's Exact test was performed for categorical variables and student t-test for continuous variables. RESULTS: Five hundred and sixteen men underwent prostate biopsy; 163(32%) performed prostate mpMRI before the biopsy; 101(25%) performed mpMRI before the first prostate biopsy and 62(59%) before the second or more prostate biopsies. Prostate cancer was detected in 46% of all men (61% in men after mpMRI versus 38% in men without, p<0.0001). In men for whom this was the first prostate biopsy, prostate cancer was detected in 47% (73% in men after mpMRI versus 39% in men without, p<0.0001); and after second or more biopsies 38% (42% in men after mpMRI versus 33% in men without, p=0.4147). Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer with mpMRI versus without. CONCLUSIONS: Performing prostate mpMRI before prostate biopsy significantly increases the detection rate of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer. It should be recommended to perform mpMRI before any prostate biopsy in accordance with the European and American Urology Association, and NCCN guidelines.