Oxford Led Study Finds New Biopsy Technique To Improve Prostate Cancer Detection

A study led by the University of Oxford has found a new way of diagnosing prostate cancer which offers more accurate information but is more painful for patients and also takes a long time.

Study in UK: The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has funded a new study which includes researchers from around the UK. The study is led by the University of Oxford and it found a better diagnosing method for detecting prostate cancer.

A total of 1,126 men from around the UK have been recruited by the researchers for this study. They all were diagnosed for prostate cancer either through the traditional “transrectal” route, or the newer “transperineal” route through the skin. The researchers were trying to find which is the better way to diagnose prostate cancer and offer clinically more meaningful results.

Professor Richard Bryant, the study’s Chief Investigator from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences said, "Almost 100,000 men are investigated for prostate cancer every year in the UK, and it is extremely important that we get this right. The results from the trial now provide the evidence necessary to help urologists, and their patients, decide how best to perform prostate biopsy. There have been several excellent trials in this space over the past year with inconclusive results. We have now conducted the largest trial in this field, and are excited to provide definitive results. The results show that transperineal biopsy is better at diagnosing clinically meaningful prostate cancer, and that the men having this type of biopsy did not need antibiotics, which is important to avoid antibiotic resistance. However, it took longer to perform the transperineal biopsies compared to the transrectal route, and men told us that the new biopsy was more painful."

New Diagnosis Method For Prostate Cancer Details

The study provides concrete evidence of the two diagnosis methods available for diagnosing prostate cancer.

Dr Alastair Lamb, study co-lead now at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, said, "It is fascinating how activity in medicine and surgery doesn’t always follow concrete evidence. Around five years ago many people decided that transperineal biopsy was self-evidently better because of the reduced risk of infection and suspected improved diagnosis. Several hospitals in well-known healthcare systems decided to change their approach wholesale, based on small or non-randomised studies. We now have a big randomised trial showing that, yes, transperineal biopsy is better in certain respects – although perhaps not as much better as we previously thought – but that there are some problems, particularly related to the pain caused by the procedure. Also, in a separate piece of work that we have carried out, we’ve found that the new biopsy takes longer to perform and is more expensive. There’s probably still quite a bit of discussion to have in this space!."

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