The significance of isoechoic prostatic carcinoma

Ultrasound findings are not useful for defining stage T1c prostate cancer

The management of stage T1c prostate cancer is identical to that of stage T2 prostate cancer. The treatment of a cancer detected by an elevated PSA level depends primarily on the age and health of the patient, on his preferences for treatment, and on the manner in which the physician presents the options. The distinction between PSA-detected tumors that are visible on ultrasound and PSA-detected tumors that are invisible on ultrasound is not clinically useful.

Prostate cancer screening and management

Several other newer therapeutic modalities are being investigated to determine their potential role in the treatment of prostate cancer. Cryotherapy, microwave hyperthermia, laser therapy, and high-intensity focused ultrasound have all been introduced in recent years. Each of these techniques is based on a different principle, yet they all attempt to kill prostate cancer cells in a minimally invasive manner. Insufficient follow-up data are available to allow strong recommendations regarding these treatments.

The role of color Doppler and staging biopsies in prostate cancer detection

OBJECTIVES

To review the current published data on the role of color Doppler sonography and sonographically-guided staging biopsies in the detection and staging of prostate cancer. This article also discusses the role of color Doppler sonography in defining the ideal patients for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed reports in the radiologic, urologic, and medical literature were reviewed. Data from our own institution served as illustrative material.

RESULTS

Color Doppler sonography using state of the art ultrasound equipment produced from the mid 1990s onward can define areas of hypervascularity in the prostate. When located in the peripheral zone and associated with definable lesions, these areas likely represent carcinoma. More importantly, when isoechoic areas contain hypervascular foci with chaotic flow, cancer is also likely. In 93% of sites that contain normal vascularity, prostate cancer was not detected by biopsy. Staging biopsies are not frequently performed in current clinical practice. A positive seminal vesicle biopsy is associated with capsular penetration in 100% and positive lymph nodes in 50% of patients with prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Color Doppler sonography and staging biopsies may have a more significant role as newer alternative therapies for prostate cancer become popular. These two techniques show promise for increasing the accuracy of pretreatment staging over current algorithms, which are less than adequate.

Role of transrectal ultrasound and prostate biopsy

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) has revolutionized our ability to image the human prostate. In the present review, we have attempted to present salient observations with respect to this modality. We emphasize its use in combination with biopsy in men who are considered at risk for harboring carcinoma. The relevant English literature is reviewed. In addition, our experience with 2,231 consecutive ultrasound-guided biopsies performed at the University of Washington and the Seattle VA Medical Center is analyzed. TRUS appears to have its primary use in directing the biopsy needle into suspicious areas and in performing the so-called systematic sector approach to biopsy. The role of transrectal ultrasound in staging established malignancy or in monitoring men following therapy remains to be defined. In our experience, carcinoma was detected in 27.2% of the subjects. Carcinoma was found in 30.7% of patients with a hypoechoic sector. Of note, 18.4% of men had their only carcinoma found in isoechoic areas. Failure to biopsy isoechoic sectors would have resulted in missing almost 20% of men with carcinoma. The role of TRUS in men with initially negative biopsy is also discussed. In summary, ultrasound guided biopsy is a useful addition to our armamentarium, particularly with respect to performing biopsy. Future advances in this modality include image enhancement utilizing computer technology as well as the potential additive role of color flow ultrasound.

The role of transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy-based staging, preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen, and biopsy Gleason score in prediction of final pathologic diagnosis in prostate cancer

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the role of ultra sound-guided systematic and lesion-directed biopsies, biopsy gleason score, preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as three objective and reproducible variables to provide a reliable combination in preoperative identification of risk of extraprostatic extension in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

The case records of 813 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer were analyzed. All had multiple systematic biopsies, two to three from each lobe, in addition to lesion-directed biopsies. Additionally, biopsies were done on seminal vesicles (SVs), if abnormal. Based on biopsy results, patients were classified as having stage B1 (T2a-T2b) or B2 (T2c) disease, depending on whether biopsies from one or both lobes were positive and stage C (T3) if there was evidence of SV involvement by biopsy of biopsies from areas of extracapsular extension as seen on transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) were positive. Logistic regression analyses with log likelihood chi-square test was used to define the correlation between individual as well as combination of preoperative variables and pathologic stage.

RESULTS

On final pathologic examination, 473 (58%) patients had organ-confined disease, 188 (23%) had extracapsular extension (ECE), with or without positive surgical margins, and 72 (9%) had SV involvement. Eighty (10%) patients had pelvic lymph node metastases. Biopsy-based staging was superior to clinical staging in predicting final pathologic diagnosis. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the combination of biopsy-based stage, preoperative serum PSA, and biopsy Gleason score provided the best prediction of final pathologic stage. Probability plots constructed with these data can provide significant information on risk of extraprostatic extension in individual patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that TRUS-guided systematic biopsy in combination with preoperative serum PSA and biopsy Gleason score may provide a cost-effective approach for management decisions and prognostication in patients with prostate cancer.