title: Effect of the number of biopsy cores on prostate cancer detection and staging.
abstract: Digital rectal examination, serum concentration of prostate cancer-specific antigen and transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies are currently the main diagnostic tools to detect evidence of prostate cancer. Different prostatic biopsy strategies have been proposed in order to achieve an optimal prostate cancer detection rate and an accurate characterization of prostate cancer stage and grade. We examined the role of the number of biopsy cores on prostate cancer detection rates at initial and repeat biopsies. Moreover, we examined the relationship between the number of biopsy cores and the detection of insignificant prostate cancer. Finally, we reviewed the ability of biopsy cores in predicting prostate cancer stage and grade at radical prostatectomy. We relied on a PubMed systematic review of the contemporary English language literature using the terms 'prostate cancer', 'diagnosis', 'transrectal ultrasound' and 'prostate biopsy'.
authors.affiliation: University of Montreal Health Center, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lughezzani
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Budäus
authors.forename: Rodolphe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thuret
authors.forename: Shahrokh F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perrotte
authors.forename: Pierre I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Karakiewicz
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*