Objective To investigate the value of magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in detection of central gland prostate cancer (CGPCa).Methods Routine MRI and DWI examination were performed in 25 CGPCa patients and 30 benign prostate heperplasia (BPH) patients.Then the ADC value was measured according to the image of the lesion after DWI,and the receiver op erating characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed to select the best ADC value for diagnosis of CGPCa.Results The ADC value of CGPCa (0.89±0.12×10-3 mm2/s) was smaller than that of BHP (1.43±0.12x10-3 mm2/s),and the dif ference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).When the cut off point of ADC value was set at 1.192×10-3 mm2/s,the sensitivity was 80.0％ and the specificity was 85.0％.Conclusion DWI and ADC have clinical application value in diagnosis of CGPCa.