Prostate cancer detection rate in men undergoing transperineal template-guided saturation and targeted prostate biopsy

OBJECTIVES To compare prostate cancer (PCa) detection rate of transperineal template-guided saturation prostate biopsy (SBx) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)/transrectal ultrasound fusion guided targeted biopsy (TBx). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 392 men who underwent SBx and TBx in case of suspicious lesions from November 2016 to October 2019. Triggers for a biopsy were an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and/or positive digital rectal examination and only treatment naïve patients without a previous diagnosis of PCa were included. Study inclusion occurred before biopsy and a prebiopsy mpMRI was available in all men. SBx were taken from 20 different locations according to the modified Barzell zones. The primary endpoint was the detection rate of clinically significant PCa (csPCa) and insignificant PCa (ciPCa) by SBx and/or TBx by comparing the two methods alone and in combination. Additional TBx were taken for any prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) lesion ≥3 seen on the mpMRI. csPCa was defined as any Gleason score ≥7 and ciPCa as Gleason score 6. RESULTS A total of 392 men with a median age of 64 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 58-69), a median PSA of 7.0 ng/ml (IQR: 4.8-10.1) were enrolled. Overall, PCa was found in 200 (51%) of all biopsied men, with 158 (79%) being csPCa and 42 (21%) ciPCa. A total of 268 (68%) men with a suspicious mpMRI and underwent a combined TBx and SBx, of whom csPCa was found in 139 (52%). In this subgroup, 116/139 (83%) csPCa would have been detected by TBx alone, and an additional 23 (17%) were found by SBx. Men with a negative mpMRI (PI-RADS < 3, n = 124, 32%) were found to have csPCa in 19 (15%) cases. In patients with a negative mpMRI in combination with a PSA density <0.1 ng/ml$^{2}$ , only 8% (3/36) had csPCa. If only TBx would have been performed and all men with a negative mpMRI would not have been biopsed, 42/158 (27%) of csPCa would have been missed, and 38/42 (90%) ciPCa would have not been detected. On multivariable analysis, significant predictors of csPCa were increasing PSA (odds ratio, OR: 1.07 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03-1.11]), increasing age (OR: 1.07 [95% CI: 1.03-1.11]), PI-RADS score ≥ 3 (OR: 6.49 [95% CI: 3.55-11.89]), and smaller prostate volume (OR: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.95 -0.97] (p < 0.05 for all parameters). CONCLUSION In comparison to SBx, TBx alone detects csPCa in only ¾ of all men with a positive mpMRI lesion. Thus, systematic biopsies in addition to TBx have to be considered at least in some who undergo a prostate biopsy. In men with a negative mpMRI, SBx still detects 15% csPCa, but similarly overdetecting ciPCa. According to our results, low PSA density and negative mpMRI findings could be used to decide which men can safely avoid biopsy

Prognostic value of unifocal and multifocal positive surgical margins in a large series of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

PURPOSE To evaluate the prognostic value of positive surgical margins (PSM) focality for the prediction of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer. METHODS All men with clinically localized prostate cancer undergoing RARP in our tertiary referral centre between May 2005 and August 2016 were retrospectively identified. Patients with neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. Comparisons were made between cases with negative surgical margins (NSM), unifocal PSM (uPSM), and multifocal PSM (mPSM). RESULTS From a total of 973 patients available for analysis, 315 (32%) had a PSM. In these patients, 190 had uPSM and 125 had mPSM. Focality of PSM was significantly associated with tumour stage and grade, preoperative PSA, and postoperative PSA persistence (all p < 0.001), but not with nerve sparing (NS) (p = 0.15). PSA persistence was found in 120 (12%) patients, resulting in 853 patients available for survival analyses with a median follow-up of 52 months. Both uPSM and mPSM were found to be independent predictors of BCR, conferring a hazard ratio of 1.9 (95% CI 1.3-3.0; p = 0.002) and 3.4 (95% CI 2.1-5.6; p < 0.001), respectively, when compared to NSM. In subgroup analyses, PSM was particularly predictive for BCR when patients underwent unilateral or bilateral NS (p ≤ 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Based on a large case series of RARP, we found PSM focality to be an independent predictor of BCR, with a 1.9- and 3.4-fold risk increase for BCR in case of uPSM and mPSM, respectively. PSM seems to be of particular prognostic relevance when NS has been performed