A randomised trial comparing two protocols for transrectal prostate repeat biopsy: six lateral posterior plus six anterior cores versus a standard posterior 12-core biopsy.

To test the hypothesis that a combination of 6 posterior and 6 anterior cores detects more cancer than 12 posterior cores at a repeat transrectal prostate biopsy in men who have had one previous benign systematic biopsy. Three hundred and forty men with persistently raised serum PSA were randomly allocated 1:1 to either a standard 12-core biopsy (12 cores from the lateral peripheral zone through a side-fire biopsy canal) or an experimental 12-core biopsy protocol with 6 anterior cores through an end-fire biopsy canal and 6 cores from the lateral peripheral zone through a side-fire biopsy canal. All biopsies were obtained transrectally with ultrasound guidance.