Does Core Length Taken per cc of Prostate Volume in Prostate Biopsy Affect the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer?

Abstract

In prostate biopsies, as the core number and/or core length increases, the possibility of determination of prostate cancer increases. However, there is no consensus as to what the core number or core length should be in different prostate volumes. In prostate biopsy, core length taken per cc of prostate and the percentage of the sampled prostate volume are important morphometric parameters in the determination of prostate cancer. Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the minimal core length to be taken per cc of prostate volume for an effective prostate biopsy. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the records of 379 patients who underwent a first prostate biopsy with 12 to 16 cores under transrectal ultrasound guidance between September 2012 and April 2015. For each patient, the core length per cc of the prostate and the percentage of sampled prostate volume were calculated, and these values were compared between the patients with and without prostate cancer. Results: A total of 348 patients were included in the study. Cancer was determined in 26.4% of patients. The mean core length taken per cc of prostate and the percentage of sampled prostate volume were determined to be 3.40 +/- 0.15 mm/cc (0.26%; range, 0.08-0.63 cc) in patients with cancer and 2.75 +/- 0.08 mm/cc (0.20%; range, 0.04-0.66 cc) in patients without cancer (P = .000 and P = .000), respectively. Core length taken per cc of prostate of > 3.31 mm/cc was found to be related to an increase in the rates of prostate cancer diagnosis (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.68-4.78). The rate of cancer determination for core length taken per cc of prostate of < 3.31 mm/cc was 19.9% and of > 3.31 mm/cc, 41.1%. Conclusions: Core length taken per cc of prostate and the percentage of sampled prostate volume are important morphometric parameters in the determination of prostate cancer. The results of study suggest a core length per cc of the prostate of > 3.31 mm/cc as a cutoff value for quality assurance. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.