Assessing the diagnostic performance of systematic freehand PrecisionPoint transperineal prostate biopsy: Comparison of observed outcomes to PBCG nomogram predictions

Objective: We assessed the diagnostic performance of freehand systematic transperineal biopsy (fTPb) by using the Prostate Biopsy Collaborative Group (PBCG) nomogram, which is a contemporary update to the PCPT nomogram. Methods: From 1/2012 to 12/2018, fTPb was performed on consecutive men with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. Patients included in this study had no previous diagnosis of prostate cancer, PSA between 2.5 ng/ml and 20 ng/ml, and underwent at least 12 core biopsies. In addition, those men who underwent pre-biopsy multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate were considered separately from those without prebiopsy imaging. Biopsies were performed by a single urologist who developed the needle guidance device used in the procedure. Clinical and pathological data were collected retrospectively. We compared observed biopsy outcomes with those predicted by PBCG nomogram utilizing chi-square statistical analysis. Results: Systematic fTPb (without pre-biopsy MRI) was performed in 301 men (median age 67, mean PSA 6.9 ng/mL). These men had a median of 20 biopsy cores. Clinically significant cancer (ISUP 2 or greater) was found in 33.9% of men. In men without pre-biopsy MRI, using PBCG Nomogram, we found no significant difference between the expected and observed number of clinically significant cancer (96 vs. 102; P = 0.09). An additional 73 men (median age 67, mean PSA 7.8 ng/ml) underwent pre-biopsy MRI imaging. The addition of MRI targets to systematic sampling resulted in a median of 25 cores. Clinically significant cancer was found in 49.3%. Using the PBCG Nomogram, in the men with pre-biopsy MRI we found clinically significant cancer in significantly more men than was expected by PBCG nomogram predictions (36 vs. 20; P = <0.01). There were no biopsy-related infectious complications. Conclusion: The fTPb technique is a promising method to sample the prostate which provides cancer detection that is comparable to that expected from systematic TRUS biopsy. We found that pre-biopsy mpMRI resulted in greater than expected detection of clinically significant cancer when utilizing this technique. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the diagnostic performance of systematic freehand transperineal biopsy (fTPb), finding that combining it with the Prostate Biopsy Collaborative Group (PBCG) nomogram can effectively predict clinically significant cancers. Patients with prostate cancer who underwent pre-biopsy multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging had an increased number of biopsy cores and a significantly higher detection rate of clinically significant cancer.