Prostate cancer is one of the male malignancies with the highest incidence rate in the world, which seriously endangers the physical and mental health of elderly men. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for the formulation of treatment strategies and the prognosis of prostate cancer. At present, its diagnosis mainly depends on digital rectal examination, serum prostate-specific antigen and transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy. However, the diagnostic efficiency of these methods is very low. In recent years, with the introduction of functional magnetic resonance imaging, multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is currently recognized as the most effective imaging method for diagnosing prostate cancer. Besides the differential diagnosis of prostate diseases, it could further predict the pathological score of prostate cancer and guide the subsequent targeted biopsy and local treatment. Accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer and subsequent individualized treatment are of great significance. The current status of mpMRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer is reviewed in this paper.