Comparison of real-time elastography and multiparametric MRI for prostate cancer detection: A whole-mount step-section analysis

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare prostate cancer detection rate of real-time elastography (RTE) with that of multiparametric MRI to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Thirty-nine patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer underwent both RTE and multiparametric MRI to localize prostate cancer before radical prostatectomy. RTE was performed to assess prostate tissue elasticity, and hard lesions were considered suspicious for prostate cancer. Multiparametric MRI included T2-weighted MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) with an endorectal coil at 1.5 T. After radical prostatectomy, whole-mount step sections of the prostate were generated, and the prostate cancer detection rates with both modalities were analyzed for cancer lesions measuring 0.2 cm 3 or larger. RESULTS. Histopathologic examination revealed 61 cancer lesions. RTE depicted 39 of 50 cancer lesions (78.0%) in the peripheral zone and 2 of 11 (18.2%) in the transitional zone. Multiparametric MRI depicted 45 of 50 cancer lesions (90.0%) in the peripheral zone and 8 of 11 (72.7%) in the transitional zone. Significant differences between the two modalities were found for the transitional zone and anterior part in prostates with volumes greater than 40 cm3 (p \u3c 0.05). Detection rates for high-risk prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥ 4 and 3) and cancer lesions with volumes greater than 0.5 cm3 were high for both methods (93.8% and 80.5% for RTE, 87.5% and 92.7% for multiparametric MRI). Volumetric measurements of prostate cancer were more reliable with T2-weighted MRI than with RTE (Spearman rank correlation, 0.72 and 0.46). CONCLUSION. RTE and multiparametric MRI depicted high-risk prostate cancer with high sensitivity. However, multiparametric MRI seems to have advantages in tumor volume assessment and for the detection of prostate cancer in the transitional zone and anterior part within prostates larger than 40 cm3. American Roentgen Ray Society

Tyrol Prostate Cancer Demonstration Project : early detection, treatment, outcome, incidence and mortality

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a well-controlled programme of early detection and treatment of prostate cancer in the population of Tyrol, Austria, where such a programme of early detection and treatment was initiated in 1988 and where prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing was offered for free to all men aged 45-75 years from 1993. Comparison of prostate cancer mortality rates in Tyrol and the rest of Austria was accomplished through a generalized additive model. A piecewise linear change-point Poisson regression model was used to compare mortality rates in Tyrol and the rest of Austria. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated with reference to the mortality rates in 1986-1990. In all, 86.6% of eligible men have been tested at least once since 1993. Cancer deaths in Tyrol in 2005 were 54% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34-69%) lower than expected compared with 29% (95% CI 22-35%) in the rest of Austria. The decreasing trend in prostate cancer mortality was significantly greater in Tyrol compared with the rest of Austria (P = 0.001). A significant migration to lower stage disease occurred and radical prostatectomy was associated with low morbidity. In the Tyrol region where treatment is freely available to all patients, where widespread PSA testing and treatment with curative intent occurs, there was a reduction in prostate cancer mortality rates which was significantly greater than the reduction in the rest of Austria. This reduction in prostate cancer mortality is most probably due to early detection, consequent down-staging and effective treatment of prostate cancer

Potentials and limitations of real-time elastography for prostate cancer detection: a whole-mount step section analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prostate cancer (PCa) detection rates of real-time elastography (RTE) in dependence of tumor size, tumor volume, localization and histological type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirdy-nine patients with biopsy proven PCa underwent RTE before radical prostatectomy (RPE) to assess prostate tissue elasticity, and hard lesions were considered suspicious for PCa. After RPE, the prostates were prepared as whole-mount step sections and were compared with imaging findings for analyzing PCa detection rates. RESULTS: RTE detected 6/62 cancer lesions with a maximum diameter of 0-5 mm (9.7%), 10/37 with a maximum diameter of 6-10 mm (27%), 24/34 with a maximum diameter of 11-20 20 mm (70.6%), 14/14 with a maximum diameter of \u3e20 mm (100%) and 40/48 with a volume ≥0.2 cm(3) (83.3%). Regarding cancer lesions with a volume ≥ 0.2 cm³ there was a significant difference in PCa detection rates between Gleason scores with predominant Gleason pattern 3 compared to those with predominant Gleason pattern 4 or 5 (75% versus 100%; P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: RTE is able to detect PCa of significant tumor volume and of predominant Gleason pattern 4 or 5 with high confidence, but is of limited value in the detection of small cancer lesions

Prostate-specific antigen testing in Tyrol, Austria: prostate cancer mortality reduction was supported by an update with mortality data up to 2008

Objectives: The objective of this study was to update an in-depth analysis of the time trend for prostate cancer (PCA) mortality in the population of Tyrol by 5 years, namely to 2008. In Tyrol, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests were introduced in 1988/89; more than three-quarters of all men in the age group 45–74 had at least one PSA test in the past decade. Methods: We applied the same model as in a previous publication, i.e., an age-period-cohort model using Poisson regression, to the mortality data covering more than three decades from 1970 to 2008. Results: For Tyrol from 2004 to 2008 in the age group 60+ period terms show a significant reduction in prostate cancer mortality with a risk ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.57, 0.87) for Tyrol, and for Austria excluding Tyrol a moderate reduction with a risk ratio of 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.87, 0.97), each compared to the mortality rate in the period 1989–1993. Conclusions: This update strengthens our previously published results, namely that PSA testing offered to a population at no charge can reduce prostate cancer mortality. The extent of mortality reduction is in line with that reported in the other recent publications. However, our data do not permit us to fully assess the harms associated with PCA screening, and no recommendation for PSA screening can be made without a careful evaluation of overdiagnosis and overtreatment

High risk of under-grading and -staging in prostate cancer patients eligible for active surveillance.

BACKGROUND:Active surveillance (AS) is increasingly offered to patients with low risk prostate cancer. The present study was conducted to evaluate the risk of tumor under-grading and -staging for AS eligibility. Moreover, we analyzed possible biomarkers for predicting more unfavorable final tumor histology. METHODS:197 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RPE) but would have met the EAU (European Association of Urology) criteria for AS (PSA<10 ng/ml, biopsy GS ≤ 6, ≤ 2 cancer-positive biopsy cores with ≤ 50% of tumor in any core and clinical stage ≤ T2a) were included in the study. These AS inclusion parameters were correlated to the final histology of the RPE specimens. The impact of preoperative PSA level (low PSA ≤ 4 ng/ml vs. intermediate PSA of >4-10 ng/ml), PSA density (<15 vs. ≥ 15 ng/ml) and the number of positive biopsy cores (1 vs. 2 positive cores) on predicting upgrading and final adverse histology of the RPE specimens was analyzed in uni- and multivariate analyses. Moreover, clinical courses of undergraded patients were assessed. RESULTS:In our patient cohort 41.1% were found under-graded in the biopsy (final histology 40.1% GS7, 1% GS8). Preoperative PSA levels, PSA density or the number of positive cores were not predictive for worse final pathological findings including GS >6, extraprostatic extension and positive resection margin (R1) or correlated significantly with up-grading and/or extraprostatic extension in a multivariate model. Only R1 resections were predictable by combining intermediate PSA levels with two positive biopsy cores (p = 0.004). Sub-analyses showed that the number of biopsy cores (10 vs. 15 biopsy cores) had no influence on above mentioned results on predicting biopsy undergrading. Clinical courses of patients showed that 19.9% of patients had a biochemical relapse after RPE, among all of them were undergraded in the initial biopsy. CONCLUSION:In summary, this study shows that a multitude of patients fulfilling the criteria for AS are under-diagnosed. The use of preoperative PSA levels, PSA density and the number of positive cores were not predictable for undergrading in the present patient collective

Age-Adjusted PSA Levels in Prostate Cancer Prediction: Updated Results of the Tyrol Prostate Cancer Early Detection Program

<div><p>Objective</p><p>To reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies in patients with benign prostatic disease, however, without missing significant PCa the present study re-evaluates the age-dependent PSA cut-offs in the Tyrol Prostate Cancer (PCa) early detection program.</p><p>Patients and Methods</p><p>The study population included 2225 patients who underwent prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA levels at our department. We divided our patient collective into four age groups: ≤49 years (n = 178), 50-59 years (n = 597), 60-69 years (n = 962) and ≥70 years (n = 488). We simulated different scenarios for PSA cut-off values between 1.25 and 6 ng/mL and fPSA% between 15 and 21% for all four age groups and calculated sensitivity, specificity, confidence intervals and predictive values.</p><p>Results</p><p>PCa was detected in 1218 men (54.7%). We found that in combination with free PSA ≤21% the following PSA cut-offs had the best cancer specificity: 1.75 ng/ml for men ≤49 years and 50-59 years, 2.25 ng/ml for men aged 60-69 years and 3.25 ng/ml for men ≥70 years. Using these adjusted PSA cut-off values all significant tumors are recognized in all age groups, yet the number of biopsies is reduced. Overall, one biopsy is avoided in 13 to 14 men (number needed to screen = 13.3, reduction of biopsies = 7.5%) when decision regarding biopsy is done according to the “new” cut-off values instead of the “old” ones. For the different age groups the number needed to screen to avoid one biopsy varied between 9.2 (≤49 years) and 17.4 (50-59 years).</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>With “new”, fine-tuned PSA cut-offs we detect all relevant PCa with a significant reduction of biopsies compared to the “old” cut-off values. Optimization of age-specific PSA cut-offs is one step towards a smarter strategy in the Tyrol PCa Early Detection Program.</p></div

The Contemporary Use of Radium-223 in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

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