The following is a summary of “Comparative Effectiveness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Ultrasound Fusion Versus In-bore Magnetic Resonance Imaging-targeted Prostate Biopsy,” published in the JANUARY 2023 issue of Urology by Ramos, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to assess the relative merits of in-bore MRI-targeted biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound (MRI-U/S) fusion biopsy.

With the help of MRI-U/S fusion prostate biopsy (12-core + targeted) performed in the office or in-bore MRI-targeted biopsy (MRI-IB; targeted only), researchers were able to identify individuals between the ages of 18 and 89 who had increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or Gleason 6 prostate cancer and were being monitored actively. After accounting for patient and radiographic characteristics, the cancer detection rate (CDR; Gleason 6-10) and clinically significant CDR (csCDR; Gleason 7-10) were assessed across biopsy procedures.

There were 280 individuals altogether (346 lesions), of which 23.9% had prostate cancer with a Gleason 6 rating and were actively monitored. There was no statistically significant difference between MRI-U/S and MRI-IB biopsies in the per-patient analysis for adjusted overall CDR (64.1% vs. 54.2%; P =.24) or csCDR (36.5% vs. 37.9%; P =.85). Although there was no statistically significant difference in adjusted overall CDR (45.7% vs. 50.1%; P =.49) between MRI-U/S and MRI-IB biopsy in the per-lesion analysis, MRI-IB biopsy was linked to a greater csCDR than MRI-U/S biopsy (32.8% vs. 21.4%; P =.02).

Per-patient studies found no statistically significant differences in cancer detection rates between MRI-U/S fusion biopsy and MRI-IB biopsy. When just targeting biopsy cores was considered, MRI-IB biopsy was linked to greater csCDR. The findings implied that MRI-U/S fusion biopsy should include systematic core collection.

Reference: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(22)00823-8/fulltext