Increasing prostate biopsy cores based on volume vs the sextant biopsy: a prospective randomized controlled clinical study on cancer detection rates and morbidity

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a volume-adjusted increase in the number of biopsy cores could detect more prostate cancers than the standard sextant biopsy alone, without increasing morbidity, and to determine its applicability in Malaysian patients, as a standard sextant biopsy misses 20-25% of prostate malignancies.

Patients and methods: In a prospective randomized study of patients undergoing transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsy for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 4-20 ng/mL without abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE), the men were divided into five main groups (A-E) with prostate volumes of <20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and >80 mL, respectively. Patients in groups B-E were randomized into sextant (B1 to E1) and increased biopsy-core subgroups, i.e. B2 (eight cores), C2 (10 cores), D2 (12 cores) and E2 (14 cores). The morbidity profile was also evaluated during and after TRUS biopsy, assessing a pain score, rectal bleeding, haematuria, haemospermia and development of fever. In all, 132 patients were recruited (mean age 67.8 years; mean PSA 9.41 ng/mL).

Results: The overall cancer detection rate was 24% (32 men). Taking more cores detected 65.5% of cancers, and the sextant biopsy 34.5% (P = 0.0025), but did not increase the overall morbidity.

Conclusions: The volume-adjusted, increased-core regimen significantly increased the positive biopsy rate of TRUS-guided prostate biopsies with no added morbidity.