Objectives
To explore the best individualized systematic prostate biopsy method.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 1211 patients who underwent 12‐core systematic prostate biopsy guided by transrectal ultrasound from January 2011 to March 2018. Other biopsy core methods (6‐, 8‐, and 10‐core) were estimated from the 12‐core biopsy that was performed. Differences in the detection rates of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) were compared.
Results
A total of 498 cases of PCa (41.1%) were detected, and 423 cases (34.9%) were csPCa. There was no significant difference between the 12‐ and 10‐core prostate biopsy strategies in the total detection rates of PCa and csPCa (P > .05). In the subgroup of patients with a maximal prostate cross‐sectional area of less than 15 cm2, there was a significant difference between the 12‐core method and the standard 6‐core method (P = .03) but no significant differences between the other methods in the detection rate of PCa (P > .05), but in the detection rate of csPCa, the 12‐core method differed significantly from the other methods (P = .02–.04) except for the 10‐core method (P > .05). In patients with a prostate‐specific antigen concentration of 20 ng/mL or higher, there were no significant differences between the 12‐core method and all of the other methods (P > 0.05). In patients younger than 70 years and 70 years or older, the 12‐core method differed significantly from the other methods (P < .01–.03) except for the 10‐core method (P > .05).
Conclusions
Ten‐ or 12‐core biopsy showed a higher detection rate than the other schemes. However, for patients with a prostate‐specific antigen concentration of 20 ng/mL or higher, the 6‐core systematic biopsy is preferred.