Value of enhanced transrectal ultrasound targeted biopsy for prostate cancer diagnosis: a retrospective data analysis.

Objective: To evaluate enhanced transrectal ultrasound (E-TRUS) techniques including real-time sonoelastography (RTE) and contrast-enhanced transrectal ultrasound (CE-TRUS) for prostate cancer (PCa) detection in men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum levels.

Methods: A total of 133 men with elevated PSA serum levels (≥1.25 ng/mL) showed PCa suspicious lesions on E-TRUS. RTE was done to assess tissue elasticity, and hard areas of the peripheral zone were considered suspicious for malignancy. CE-TRUS was done with cadence contrast pulse sequencing (CPS) technique to assess tumor neoangiogenesis, which were defined as areas with increased and rapid contrast enhancement in the peripheral zone and were considered suspicious for malignancy. All patients underwent an E-TRUS-targeted biopsy of the prostate into the suspected lesions. PCa detection rates for E-TRUS were analyzed.

Results: PCa detection rate of E-TRUS-targeted biopsy was 59.4% (79/133) using a median of 5 cores per patient and a median of 3 cores per lesion. RTE showed a per patient detection rate of 56.5% (70/124) and CE-TRUS of 74.2% (69/93). The subgroup analysis demonstrated the highest detection rates in prostate volumes <40 mL (72.2%) and in men older than 70 years (87%).

Conclusions: The combined use of CE-TRUS and RTE is feasible and allows for targeted biopsy and may improve PCa detection.