The detection rate for prostate cancer in systematic and targeted prostate biopsy in biopsy-naive patients, according to the localization of the lesion at the mpMRI: A single-center retrospective observational study.

Objective: Evaluate the detection rates of systematic, targeted and combined cores at biopsy according to tumor positions in biopsy-naïve patients.

Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of a single-center patient cohort (n = 501) that underwent transrectal prostate biopsy between January 2017 and December 2019 was performed. Multi-parametric MRI was executed as a prebiopsy investigation. Biopsy protocol included, for each patient, 12 systematic cores plus 3 to 5 targeted cores per lesion identified at the mpMRI. Pearson and McNemar chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis to compare tumor location-related detection rates of systematic, targeted and combined (systematic + targeted) cores at biopsy.

Results: Median age of patients was 70 years (IQR 62-72), with a median PSA of 8.5 ng/ml (IQR 5.7-15.6). Positive biopsies were obtained in 67.7% of cases. Overall, targeted cores obtained higher detection rates compared to systematic cores (54.3% vs. 43.1%, p < 0.0001). Differences in detection rates were, however, higher for tumors located at the apex (61.1% vs. 26.3%, p < 0.05) and anteriorly (44.4% vs. 19.3%, p < 0.05). Targeted cores similarly obtained higher detection rates in the posterior zone of the prostate gland for clinically significant prostate cancer. A poor agreement was reported between targeted and systematic cores for the apex and anterior zone of the prostate with, respectively κ = 0.028 and κ = -0.018.

Conclusion: A combined approach of targeted and systematic biopsy delivers the highest detection rate in prostate cancer (PCa). The location of the tumor could however greatly influence overall detection rates, indicating the possibility to omit (as for the base or posterior zone of the gland) or add (as for the apex or anterior zone of the gland) further targeted cores.