Office Based Transrectal Saturation Biopsy Improves Prostate
Cancer Detection Compared to Extended Biopsy in the Repeat
Biopsy Population
Osama M. Zaytoun, Ayman S. Moussa, Tianming Gao, Khaled Fareed
and J. Stephen Jones*,†
From the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute and Department of Quantitative Health Sciences (TG), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Abbreviations
and Acronyms
ASAP = atypical small acinar
proliferation
DRE = digital rectal examination
HGPIN = high grade prostatic
intraepithelial neoplasia
PBx = prostate biopsy
PCa = prostate cancer
PSA = prostate specific antigen
TRUS = transrectal ultrasound
Submitted for publication January 13, 2011.
Study received institutional review board ap-
proval.
* Correspondence: Department of Regional
Urology, Glickman Urological and Kidney Insti-
tute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave., A100,
Cleveland Ohio 44195 (telephone: 216-444-2470;
FAX: 216-445-2267; e-mail: joness7@ccf.org).
† Financial interest and/or other relationship
with Pfizer, Cook, Abbott, Endocare and GTx.
For another article on a related
topic see page 1093.
Purpose: Multiple studies have shown significant prostate cancer detection for
repeat biopsy. However, the best approach regarding core number and location
remains controversial. Transrectal saturation biopsy is believed to increase can-
cer detection but to our knowledge no studies comparing it to 12 to 14-core
extended biopsy have been published. We compared saturation and extended
repeat biopsy protocols after initially negative biopsy.
Materials and Methods: A total of 1,056 men underwent prostate biopsy after
initially negative biopsy. The extended biopsy group included 393 men with 12 to
14-core repeat biopsy. The saturation biopsy group included 663 men with 20 to
24-core repeat biopsy. We analyzed demographics and prostate cancer between
the 2 groups. We compared prostate cancer detection in patients with previous
atypical small acinar proliferation and/or high grade prostatic intraepithelial
neoplasia as well as the risk of detecting clinically insignificant tumors.
Results: Prostate cancer was detected in 315 of the 1,056 patients (29.8%). Satura-
tion biopsy detected almost a third more cancers (32.7% vs 24.9%, p = 0.0075). In
patients with a benign initial biopsy saturation biopsy achieved significantly
greater prostate cancer detection (33.3% vs 25.6%, p = 0.027). For previous
atypical small acinar proliferation and/or high grade prostatic intraepithelial
neoplasia there was a trend toward higher prostate cancer detection rate in
the saturation group but it did not attain statistical significance (31.2% vs
23.3%, p = 0.13). Of 315 positive biopsies 119 (37.8%) revealed clinically
insignificant cancer (40.1% vs 32.6%, p = 0.2).
Conclusions: Compared to extended biopsy, office based saturation biopsy signifi-
cantly increases cancer detection on repeat biopsy. The potential for increased detection
of clinically insignificant cancer should be weighed against missing significant cases.
Key Words: prostate, prostatic neoplasms, biopsy,
physicians’ offices, reoperation
AFTER its introduction by Hodge et al
1
sextant PBx remained the mainstay
of PCa diagnosis for several years.
However, several investigators re-
ported a high probability that this
limited parasagittal scheme would
miss cancer.
2,3
Currently initial PBx
should include at least 10 to 14 ex-
tended cores, including the lateral
and anterior prostate zones, based on
superior cancer detection rates.
4,5
Even with the widespread applica-
tion of extended PBx it is well recog-
nized that many PCa cases are still
missed at initial PBx due to sampling
error and, thus, negative PBx does
850 www.jurology.com
0022-5347/11/1863-0850/0 Vol. 186, 850-854, September 2011
THE JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
®
Printed in U.S.A.
© 2011 by AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH,INC. DOI:10.1016/j.juro.2011.04.069