Simulated prostate biopsy: Prostate cancer distribution and clinical correlation

Our group has recently obtained data based upon whole-mounted step-sectioned radical prostatectomy specimens using a 3-D computer assisted prostate biopsy simulator that suggests an increased detection rate is possible using laterally placed biopsies. A new 10-core biopsy pattern was demonstrated to be superior to the traditional sextant biopsy. This pattern includes the traditional sextant biopsy cores and four laterally placed biopsies in the fight and left apex and mid portion of the prostate gland. The objective of this study is to confirm the higher prostate cancer detection rate obtained using our simulated 10-core biopsy pattern in a small clinical trial. We retrospectively reviewed 35 consecutive patients with a pathologic diagnosis of prostate cancer biopsied by a single urologist using the 10-core biopsy pattern. The frequency of positive biopsy was determined for each core. Additionally, the sextant and 10-core prostate biopsy patterns were compared with respect to prostate cancer detection rate. Of the 35 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, 54.3% (19/35) were diagnosed when reviewing the sextant biopsy data only. Review of the 10-core pattern revealed that an additional 45.7% (16/35) of patients were diagnosed solely with the laterally placed biopsies. Our results suggest that biopsy protocols that use laterally placed biopsies based upon a five region anatomical model are superior to the routinely used sextant prostate biopsy pattern.

Duke Scholars

Author Judd Wendell Moul Urology