Needle Aspiration and Needle Biopsy Procedures

Usefulness of aspiration cytology in prostate cancer detection

Aspiration cytology and core needle biopsy were performed in 79 patients who were suspected of having prostate cancer. Aspiration cytology and TURP were done in 77 cases not suspected of the disease. In the former group, they were both positive in 13 cases, aspiration cytology was negative and core needle biopsy positive in 4, and the reverse in 3 cases in whom cancer was confirmed by repeat core biopsy. All of the latter group were judged by aspiration cytology as being benign. Three cancers were detected by TURP. Aspiration cytology is a recommendable method in subjects with suspected prostate cancer.

A comparison between digitally-guided fine needle aspiration and ultrasound-guided transperineal core needle biopsy of the prostate for the detection of prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively examine the accuracy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) for the detection of prostate cancer. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy of the prostate was used as the standard to which the FNA results were compared.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One-hundred patients who had been referred for urological evaluation were suspected of having prostate cancer on the basis of digital rectal examination (DRE) and/or transrectal ultrasound (TRUS). All were further evaluated by digitally guided transrectal FNA and by TRUS-guided transperineal core needle biopsy.

RESULTS

Prostate cancer was identified in 54 patients by core needle biopsy and in 45 by FNA. The sensitivity of FNA was 81% and both specificity and positive predictive value were 98%.

CONCLUSION

FNA is easily performed, has negligible morbidity and offers prompt results. These data suggest that FNA is a reasonable initial diagnostic procedure for the detection of prostate cancer. Core needle biopsy may be reserved for patients with negative cytology who are clinically suspected of having prostate cancer. In selected patients, FNA may be used as an alternative to core needle biopsy for diagnosis, treatment planning and follow-up.