A new biopsy technique can save lives and spare men from unnecessary procedures.
This year, about 175,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate, a walnut-sized gland that produces fluid that carries sperm, according to the National Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, the disease can be difficult to detect, and it can be challenging to distinguish potentially deadly tumors from small, slow-growing ones that don’t require treatment.
When a screening test—such as a digital-rectal exam, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or both—suggests a man might have prostate cancer, the next step is usually to take a biopsy. Guided by ultrasound imaging, a standard biopsy involves randomly injecting fine needles into the gland and removing tissue, which is tested for cancer cells. Unfortunately, this method sometimes picks up small tumors that don’t require treatment—and misses potentially dangerous ones. Even if a standard biopsy doesn’t reveal any tumors, physicians often recommend additional follow-up biopsies, which can cause anxiety.
A Sharper Image
To help identify the most dangerous prostate tumors, physicians at Community Medical Center (CMC) have adopted a cutting-edge technology called fusion biopsy. If a man with a negative biopsy continues to show worrisome signs (such as rising PSA levels), the next step is a fusion biopsy, says urologist Peter Howard, MD, Chair of CMC's Department of Urology. First, the man undergoes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which creates a detailed image of the prostate, causing high-risk tumors to “light up.” If none appear, the man doesn’t need a follow-up biopsy and canbe tracked instead with digital-rectal exams and PSA testing. If a suspicious mass is found, the patient undergoes a fusion biopsy, in which special soft ware “blends” the MRI image with the ultrasound image in real time. This allows Dr. Howard to aim the biopsy needles only at worrisome areas of the prostate, greatly improving the identification of dangerous malignancies. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fusion biopsies detected 30 percent more high-risk prostate tumors than standard biopsies. Says Dr. Howard: “Fusion biopsy gives us a better chance of finding a cancer.”
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