Initial evaluation of prostate cancer with real-time elastography based on step-section pathologic analysis after radical prostatectomy: a preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether real-time elastography can be used to detect prostate cancer as a relatively non-invasive modality based on the tissue strain value.


METHODS
Seventeen patients underwent real-time elastography in conjunction with digital rectal examination (DRE), conventional gray-scale transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to radical prostatectomy. The elastogram was compared to findings of conventional modalities and pathological findings of prostatectomy specimens. To obtain the elastogram, compression of the prostate was performed along with a visual indicator on a video screen.


RESULTS
Twenty of 27 pathologically confirmed tumors were detected with real-time elastography. The cancer detection rate with real-time elastography was superior to the rates of other modalities and nearly equal to both on the anterior side (75.0%) and the posterior side (73.7%) of the prostate. A higher tumor detection rate for real-time elastography was observed for tumors with a higher Gleason score and larger tumor volume.


CONCLUSIONS
In our preliminary study, real-time elastography in conjunction with gray-scale TRUS is a non-invasive modality to detect prostate cancer.
Sumura
Masahiro
M
Department of Urology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Shimane, Japan. sumura@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
Shigeno
Kazushi
K
Hyuga
Taiju
T
Yoneda
Tatsuaki
T
Shiina
Hiroaki
H
Igawa
Mikio
M
D000368:Aged; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery