Transperineal ultrasound-guided 12-core prostate biopsy: an extended approach to diagnose transition zone prostate tumors

A systematic review on the outcomes of local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsy

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the diagnostic ability, complication rate, patient tolerability, and cost of local anaesthetic (LA) transperineal prostate biopsy.

METHODS

Two reviewers searched Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Embase for publications on LA transperineal prostate biopsy up to March 2021. Outcomes of interest included cancer detection rates, complication rates, pain assessments and cost.

RESULTS

A total of 35 publications with 113 944 men were included in this review. The cancer detection rate for LA transperineal prostate biopsy in patients undergoing primary biopsy was 52% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45-0.60; I² = 97) and the clinically significant cancer detection rate (Gleason≥3 + 4) was 37% (95% CI 0.24-0.52; I² = 99%). The rate of infection-related complications in the included studies was 0.15% (95% CI 0.0000-0.0043; I² = 86). The LA transperineal procedures had a low rate of procedural abandonment (26/6954, 0.37%), with the greatest pain scores measured during LA administration. No formal cost analyses on LA transperineal prostate biopsies were identified in the literature. The overall risk of bias in the included studies was high, with considerable study heterogeneity and publication bias.

CONCLUSION

Transperineal prostate biopsy performed under LA is a viable option for centres interested in avoiding the risk of infection associated with transrectal biopsy, and the logistical burden of general anaesthesia. Further investigation into LA transperineal prostate biopsy with comparative studies is warranted for its consideration as the standard in prostate biopsy technique.

An approach to genetic testing in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in Singapore

Introduction: There has been a rapid evolution in the treatment strategies for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) following the identification of targetable mutations, making genetic testing essential for patient selection. Although several international guidelines recommend genetic testing for patients with mCRPC, there is a lack of locally endorsed clinical practice guidelines in Singapore. Method: A multidisciplinary specialist panel with representation from medical and radiation oncology, urology, pathology, interventional radiology, and medical genetics discussed the challenges associated with patient selection, genetic counselling and sample processing in mCRPC. Results: A clinical model for incorporating genetic testing into routine clinical practice in Singapore was formulated. Tumour testing with an assay that is able to detect both somatic and germline mutations should be utilised. The panel also recommended the “mainstreaming” approach for genetic counselling in which pre-test counselling is conducted by the managing clinician and post-test discussion with a genetic counsellor, to alleviate the bottlenecks at genetic counselling stage in Singapore. The need for training of clinicians to provide pre-test genetic counselling and educating the laboratory personnel for appropriate sample processing that facilitates downstream genetic testing was recognised. Molecular tumour boards and multidisciplinary discussions are recommended to guide therapeutic decisions in mCRPC. The panel also highlighted the issue of reimbursement for genetic testing to reduce patient-borne costs and increase the reach of genetic testing among this patient population. Conclusion: This article aims to provide strategic and implementable recommendations to overcome the challenges in genetic testing for patients with mCRPC in Singapore. Keywords: Clinical model, genetic counselling, genetic testing, homologous recombination repair genes, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

"Free-Hand" Transperineal Prostate Biopsy Under Local Anesthesia: Review of the Literature

Background: The recent plethora of reports of "free-hand" transperineal prostate biopsy (fTP-Bx) under local anesthesia (LA) demonstrate that many centers consider this technique to be a safer and possibly more accurate approach to prostate biopsy in the clinic setting. Materials and Methods: The literature was searched for fTP-Bx, and summary tables were compiled. Studies on the costs of postprostate biopsy sepsis were also researched. Results: The search found 11,999 cases of fTP-Bx under LA with and without sedation over 29 mutually exclusive studies. Pooled averages calculated for age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, PSA density, and cores sampled were 67.3 years, 10.4 ng/mL, 47.7 mL, 0.24 ng/mL/cc, and 15.3 cores, respectively. Detection of overall prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant (Gleason score ≥7) prostate cancer (csPCa) averaged 45.5% (3796/8338) and 25.1% (1141/4541), respectively. After subgrouping the studies by biopsy technique, studies that used MRI/ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsy in some or all biopsy cases averaged an overall PCa and csPCa detection rate of 50.0% (741/1483) (p < 0.0001) and 42.8% (635/1483) (p < 0.0001), respectively. Visual analog scale pain ratings and procedure times averaged 3.17 and 13.1 minutes, respectively. Averages for complications of sepsis and acute urinary retention were 0.0% (0/7396) and 2.1% (120/5693), respectively. A total of 10.2% (1055/10,334) of cases received no antibiotic prophylaxis. If fTP-Bx under LA replaced transrectal prostate biopsy (TR-Bx) in the United States, the estimated annual savings would be $341,676,800-$752,540,000 through the virtual elimination of admissions for postbiopsy sepsis. Conclusions: Many centers around the world have adopted fTP-Bx because it virtually eliminates sepsis, may improve detection rates of csPCa and can be easily integrated into a normal clinic workflow using only LA. If all urologists in the United States abandoned TR-Bx for fTP-Bx, the potential savings in health care costs of complications would be significant.

Sectoral cancer detection and tolerability of freehand transperineal prostate biopsy under local anaesthesia

BACKGROUND

To investigate the feasibility of a freehand transperineal (TP) systematic prostate biopsy protocol under local anaesthesia (LA) and the value of different sectors in diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODS

A total of 611 consecutive freehand TP biopsies under LA in 2 hospitals were prospectively evaluated. Cancer detection rate in each of the four different sectors (anterior, mid, posterior, basal) was recorded to evaluate the value of each sector. Procedure tolerability was assessed by pain score and complications were documented.

RESULTS

Systematic biopsies were performed in 556 out of 611 men with a median of 20 (IQR 12-24) biopsy cores taken. The median PSA was 9.9 (Inter-quartile range[IQR] 6.4-16.2) ng/mL, and 89.0% were first biopsies. All PCa and ISUP grade group (GG) ≥ 2 PCa (HGPCa) were diagnosed in 41.4% (230/556) and 28.2% (157/556) biopsies respectively. 77.0% HGPCa was diagnosed in ≥2 sectors. Single-sector HGPCa was predominantly found in anterior or posterior sector. Omitting base sector would have missed 1.5% (1/65) HGPCa out of the 219 cases with ≥24-core biopsies performed. Further omission of mid sector would have missed 3.1% (2/65) HGPCa and 7.4% (7/94) ISUP GG1 PCa (in which 3/7 involved 2 sectors). LA TP biopsy was well tolerated and the mean pain scores of the different steps of the procedure were between 1.9-3.1 (out of 10). Post-biopsy fever occurred in 0.3% of patients (2/611) and no sepsis was reported. The risk of urinary retention in men with ≥20 cores in ≥60 ml prostate was 7.8% (14/179), compared with 1.7% (7/423) in other groups (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

TP sectoral prostate biopsy under LA was well tolerated with minimal sepsis risk. Basal sector biopsies had minimal additional value to HGPCa detection and its omission can be considered.

Prognostic impact of combined progression index based on peritoneal grading regression score and peritoneal cytology in peritoneal metastasis

AIMS

The peritoneal regression grading score (PRGS) and peritoneal cytology (PC) assess response to chemotherapy in peritoneal metastasis (PM) in a setting of palliative treatment by pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). Progression has been defined as an increase of PRGS between first and third PIPAC procedures (iPRGS). iPRGSand positive peritoneal cytology were not associated with prognostic impact. These results may be explained by a lack of statistical power. Also, it is not known whether the mean or the highest PRGS among taken peritoneal biopsies bears the highest clinical value. We therefore conducted the largest prospective study to investigate the prognostic impact of PGRS, PC, and their combination, designated as combined progression index (CPI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with PM who underwent >3 PIPAC (n = 112) between December 2016 and February 2019 were prospectively included. A significant difference in OS and PFS according to CPI (used highest value of PRGS) was found (OS: CPI-, 83.3, 95% CI [49.8; NA] vs. CPI+, 48.1, 95% CI [38.5; 66.4] months; and PFS (respectively, 59.7, 95% CI [43.0; 96.0] vs. 33.7, 95% CI [30.4; 44.2] months). PRGS or PC had no independent prognostic impact. CPI+ was an independent predictor of worse prognosis, in OS (HR = 5.24, 95% CI [2.07; 13.26]), and PFS (HR = 4.41, 95% CI [1.40; 13.88]).

CONCLUSIONS

The CPI based on highest PRGS and PC was found to be independently associated with a worse prognosis for OS and for PFS in the setting of peritoneal metastasis. These results indicate that it should be of interest to systematically take peritoneal fluid for cytological examination and to implement the CPI in the therapeutic decision-making process in the context of PIPAC.

Optimizing prostate biopsy techniques

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics have undergone a number of changes as a result of efforts to reduce the detection rate of indolent prostate cancer and to increase the hit rate for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Here, we look at those studies that have shifted our knowledge and the impact these have had on clinical practice.

RECENT FINDINGS

The introduction of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and approaches to active surveillance have changed the landscape in prostate cancer diagnostics, reducing the number of men that need biopsy, but increasing the need for accuracy in mapping the extent of prostate cancer. As mpMRI reporting has become more accurate at predicting PCa, biopsy techniques have also evolved towards lesion (PI-RADS score 3-5) targeted biopsies. Uncertainty remains regarding the preferred approach to targeted biopsy, the need for systematic biopsies, and the place of software ultrasound/MRI fusion or in-bore MRI biopsy techniques versus 'cognitive' fusion techniques.

SUMMARY

Prostate biopsies remain essential for the diagnosis of PCa. But how best to do this? Latest guidelines advocate performing both targeted and systematic biopsies. Traditionally, prostate biopsies have been performed transrectally (TRUS) with hospital readmission rates of around 3% mainly because of infection. Additionally, TRUS prostate biopsies can miss anterior prostatic lesions. The transperineal approach addresses both these issues, but has historically required general anaesthetic such that adoption for front-line diagnostics is very difficult. Recent techniques to undertake transperineal biopsy under local anaesthetic have fundamentally changed this paradigm offering the genuine possibility that in 5 years' time, all front-line diagnostic biopsies will be performed as LATP.

Role of Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate to increase cancer detection rate in patients with gray-zone PSA level

BACKGROUND

Even though the safety of the treatment for prostate cancer diagnosed by HoLEP has been reported, the diagnostic value of HoLEP for prostate cancer detection has not been confirmed. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic potential of HoLEP for detecting prostate cancer.

METHODS

Between December 2009 and October 2015, 359 patients (median age, 70.9 years; range, 66.2-74.8) were treated simultaneously with HoLEP and transrectal prostate needle biopsy (TPNB). Of these, 199 patients with a normal digital rectal examination and serum PSA concentration between 3.5 and 10.0 ng/mL were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictive factor for prostate cancer detected by HoLEP.

RESULTS

Median PSA, prostate volume and PSA density were 4.97 ng/mL (range, 4.20-6.70), 57.40 gm (range, 43.67-77.80) and 0.09 ng/mL2 (range, 0.07-0.12), respectively. Prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥6) was detected in 46 cases (23.1%). Of these, 26 (56.5%) were detected by HoLEP pathology, 11 (23.9%) by TPNB pathology, and 9 (19.6%) by both. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed in 179 patients, including benign prostatic hyperplasia patients (N=153, 76.9%) and patients with cancer detected by HoLEP pathology. PSA density was identified as an independent predictor of prostate cancer detected by HoLEP in gray-zone PSA.

CONCLUSIONS

HoLEP is a viable modality for detecting prostate cancer in selected cases. PSA density was an independent predictor of prostate cancer detected by HoLEP in gray-zone PSA.

Preliminary study on ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy specimen scores

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in males worldwide and resulted in ~258,000 cases of cancer-associated mortality in 2008. The present study visually determined the pathology scores of PCa specimens by taking into account five characteristics, including the hardness, color, plumpness, transparency and uniformity of specimens. The current study also aimed to identify the association between pathology scores and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, in order to reduce the complications caused by punctures and elevate the specimen positive rates. A total of 1,608 specimens from 268 patients were analyzed by one sonographer, one urologist and one pathologist. A standard pathological examination was performed on the PCa biopsy specimens and specimen scores were recorded under double-blinded conditions. A receiver operator characteristic curve identified a linear correlation between the visually determined score and PSA levels (r=0.255; P<0.001). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis indicated that the visually determined score and PSA were correlated with the diagnosis of PCa. Additionally, the authenticity of the visually determined score was higher than PSA in the diagnosis of PCa, with the best sensitivity and specificity of the visually determined scores used to predict PCa being 0.817 and 0.931, respectively.

Biologic differences between peripheral and transition zone prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer arises in the transition zone (TZ) in approximately 20-25% of cases. Modern biopsy and surveillance protocols, and advances in prostate cancer imaging, have renewed interest in TZ prostate cancers. We compared TZ and PZ prostate cancer to determine if cancer location is independently associated with better outcomes.

METHODS

We evaluated an expanded cohort of 1354 men who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1983 and 2003 with updated long-term clinical follow-up. Regression models were used to compare the volume of high-grade (Gleason 4 or 5) cancer and total cancer volume by location. Uni- and multi-variable logistic regression models tested the associations between cancer location and adverse pathologic features. Multivariable proportional hazard models were fit to examine cancer recurrence.

RESULTS

Patients with TZ cancer presented with higher pre-operative serum PSA values (11.07 vs. 7.86 ng/ml) and larger total cancer volume (7.1 vs. 3.8 cc). Patients with TZ cancer had decreased odds of seminal vesicle invasion (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.03, 0.21), extra-capsular extension (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.35, 0.92), and lymphovascular invasion (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27, 0.87) in multivariable models. TZ cancers were independently associated with decreased hazard of tumor recurrence (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43, 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

TZ cancer prostate is associated with favorable pathologic features and better recurrence-free survival despite being diagnosed with larger cancers and higher PSA values. Tumor location should be taken into account when stratifying patient risk before and after prostatectomy, particularly with the evolving role of imaging in prostate cancer management.