title: Accuracy of a new echographic method (RULES, radiofrequency ultrasonic local estimators) in prostate cancer diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the accuracy of a new echographic method named RULES (radiofrequency ultrasonic local estimators) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A double-blind prospective study was carried out on 105 patients mean age 66.6 years, prostate specific antigen (PSA) >4 ng/ml with clinical and/or biochemical suspicious of prostate cancer. Patients were submitted to transrectal prostate biopsy (8 to 12 cores) using a traditional echograph connected to a new hardware/ software platform named FEMMINA (fast echographic multiparameter multi image novel apparatus) that processes the echo signal by a RULES (radiofrequency ultrasonic local estimators) algorithm. Histological findings were compared to B-mode and RULES modality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cancer was detected in 32/105 patients, of which 26/32 were determined as positive with the RULES method. RULES had better positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than B-mode.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results obtained with RULES are encouraging and, if further confirmed, could help to reduce the number of unnecessary prostatic biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. alessandro@bertaccini.net
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertaccini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franceschelli
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schiavina
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baccos
authors.forename: Remigio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pernetti
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Granchi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masotti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martorana
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*