A questionnaire survey of patient preparation and techniques for prostate biopsy among urologists in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions of Japan.
BACKGROUND
We surveyed urologists in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions of Japan regarding their standard approach to patient preparation and their prostate biopsy technique.


METHODS
A total of 155 survey questionnaires were prepared and mailed to community and academic urologists in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions. Incidences were derived from the total numbers of responses, by item, divided by the total number of responses per practice type.


RESULTS
There were 27 responses from clinics (17.4%), 115 from general hospitals (74.2%), and 13 from university hospitals or cancer centers (8.4%). Most urologists performed biopsy in patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels greater than 4 ng/ml when digital rectal examination (DRE) and/or transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) results were normal. Of the urologists, 83% reported performing the procedure with hospitalization; 51% of urologists do not advocate enema use, 69% performed the procedure under spinal anesthesia or a sacral block, 53% reported the combined administration of antibiotics orally and intramuscularly or intravenously, 70% used only the transrectal route for prostate biopsy, and 86.5% performed six or more biopsy cores at the initial prostate biopsy session.


CONCLUSIONS
This survey shows substantial variation in the prostate biopsy protocols among urologists in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions in Japan, and suggests that national, evidence-based, guidelines are required, particularly as to antibiotic prophylaxis and the number of biopsy cores.
Noguchi
Masanori
M
Department of Urology, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan. noguchi@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
Matsuoka
Kei
K
Koga
Hirofumi
H
Kanetake
Hiroshi
H
Nakagawa
Masayuki
M
Naito
Seiji
S
D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D051517:Digital Rectal Examination; D004733:Enema; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014572:Urology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen