title: Ultrasound elastography of the prostate: state of the art.
abstract: Prostate cancer is the cancer exhibiting the highest incidence rate and it appears as the second cause of cancer death in men, after lung cancer. Prostate cancer is difficult to detect, and the treatment efficacy remains limited despite the increase use of biological tests (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] dosage), the development of new imaging modalities, and the use of invasive procedures such as biopsy. Ultrasound elastography is a novel imaging technique capable of mapping tissue stiffness of the prostate. It is known that prostatic cancer tissue is often harder than healthy tissue (information used by digital rectal examination [DRE]). Two elastography techniques have been developed based on different principles: first, quasi-static (or strain) technique, and second, shear wave technique. The tissue stiffness information provided by US elastography should improve the detection of prostate cancer and provide guidance for biopsy. Prostate elastography provides high sensitivity for detecting prostate cancer and shows high negative predictive values, ensuring that few cancers will be missed. US elastography should become an additional method of imaging the prostate, complementing the conventional transrectal ultrasound and MRI. This technique requires significant training (especially for quasi-static elastography) to become familiar with acquisition process, acquisition technique, characteristics and limitations, and to achieve correct diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Descartes, 12, rue de l'École-de-Médecine, 75270 Paris cedex 06, France. jean-michel.correas@nck.aphp.fr
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Correas
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tissier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khairoune
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eiss
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hélénon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011467:Prostate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen