MILAN—Increasing the number prostate biopsy cores from 12 to 20 offers no significant advantage in detecting prostate cancer (PCa), according to findings presented at the 28th annual congress of the European Association of Urology.
Jacque Irani, MD, of CHU Hôpital de la Milétrie, Dept. of Urology, Poitiers, France, and colleagues randomized 339 men to undergo either a 12-core or 20-core prostate biopsy. Subjects had PSA levels below 20 ng/mL and negative findings on digital rectal examination. This was their first prostate biopsy. The two groups had similar preoperative variables.
The biopsies revealed cancer in 71 patients (42%) of the 12-core group and 81 (48.8%) of the 20-core group, a non-significant between-group difference. In addition, Gleason score and cancer length measured on biopsy cores were not significantly different between groups. PCa detection rate was linked to prostate volume, but the number of cores did not affect this. The number and severity of complications were comparable in both arms.
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