scholarly journals Prostate Cancer Ultrasound: Is Still a Valid Tool?

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Carpagnano ◽  
L. Eusebi ◽  
S. Carriero ◽  
W. Giannubilo ◽  
F. Bartelli ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose of Review The main purpose of this paper review is to highlight the latest ultrasound (US) imaging technologies of the prostate gland, an organ increasingly at the center of attention in the field of oncological diseases of the male sex, which needs a 360° evaluation in order to obtain tailored therapeutic planning. Specialist urological evaluation is designated for this purpose, together with integrated prostate imaging which currently tends to focus more and more on the use of US imaging and its state-of-the-art technologies in iconographic diagnosis, biopsy and, sometimes, treatment of prostatic cancer. Recent Findings In particular, the main tools to which reference is made, represent a valid aid to basic US technologies already widely known and diffused, like the grayscale US or the Doppler US, for a "multiparametric" evaluation of the prostate cancer. The concept of multiparametricity is explained by the integration of prostate imaging obtained both with the US evaluation of the gland before and after administration of contrast medium, with the elaboration of parametric maps of quantitative measurement of the enhancement, and with elastography that provides information about the tissue consistency, a finding that strongly relates with the degree of cellularity and with the tumor grading. Summary Prostate cancer screening consists of dosing serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and performing digit-rectal examination (DRE), more or less associated with transrectal prostate ultrasound (TRUS). However, although these are the most common techniques in clinical practice, they have numerous limitations and make the diagnosis of prostate cancer often challenging. The purpose of mp-US is to enrich the clinical-laboratory data and, above all, the standard US imaging with further details to strengthen the suspicion of malignancy of a prostate tumor, which needs to be addressed to diagnostic deepening with biopsy. This review article provides a summary of the current evidence on mp-US imaging in the evaluation of a clinically significant prostate cancer, comparing the data obtained to the imaging of mp-MRI, the reference tool both in diagnosis and staging.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siegfried Wagner ◽  
Anaclet Ngezahayo ◽  
Hugo Murua Escobar ◽  
Ingo Nolte

Prostate cancer is worldwide the sixth leading cause of cancer related death in men thus early detection and successful treatment are still of major interest. The commonly performed screening of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is controversially discussed, as in many patients the prostate-specific antigen levels are chronically elevated in the absence of cancer. Due to the unsatisfying efficiency of available prostate cancer screening markers and the current treatment outcome of the aggressive hormone refractory prostate cancer, the evaluation of novel molecular markers and targets is considered an issue of high importance. MicroRNAs are relatively stable in body fluids orchestrating simultaneously the expression of many genes. These molecules are currently discussed to bear a greater diagnostic potential than protein-coding genes, being additionally promising therapeutic drugs and/or targets. Herein we review the potential impact of the microRNAlet-7family on prostate cancer and show how deregulation of several of its target genes could influence the cellular equilibrium in the prostate gland, promoting cancer development as they do in a variety of other human malignant neoplasias.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. FSO637
Author(s):  
Julien Sarkis ◽  
Georges Nawfal ◽  
Elias El-Haddad ◽  
Georges Abi Tayeh ◽  
Nathalie Mahfoud ◽  
...  

Background: Granulomatous prostatitis (GnP) is an interesting complication of bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) therapy as it mimics prostate cancer on clinical, biochemical and imaging examinations. In the era of multiparametric prostate MRI (mpMRI), differentiation of GnP from prostate cancer on imaging is essential. Case presentation: We report a case of post-BCG GnP in a patient with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, presenting with a prostate-specific antigen level of 21.6 ng/ml and prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 5 peripheral lesions. A mpMRI performed 6 months before showed a score 2 of PI-RADS. Conclusion: The comparison of mpMRI images before and after BCG administration gives urologists, oncologists and radiologists a precise idea of the mpMRI changes that occur following BCG administration to eventually prevent unnecessary biopsies in future patients.


2020 ◽  
pp. medethics-2019-105979
Author(s):  
Satish Chandra Mishra

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the the most common cancers in men. A blood test called prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has a potential to pick up this cancer very early and is used for screening of this disease. However, screening for prostate cancer is a matter of debate. Level 1 evidence from randomised controlled trials suggests a reduction in cancer-specific mortality from PCa screening. However, there could be an associated impact on quality of life due to a high proportion of overdiagnosis and overtreatment as part of the screening. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2012 recommended that PSA-based PCa screening should not to be offered at any age. However, considering the current evidence, USPSTF recently revised its recommendation to offer the PSA test to men aged 55–69 years with shared decision-making, in line with earlier guidelines from the American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association. A shared decision making is necessary since the PSA test could potentially harm an individual. However, the literature suggests that clinicians often neglect a discussion on this issue before ordering the test. This narrative discusses the main controversies regarding PCa screening including the PSA threshold for biopsy, the concept of overdiagnosis and overtreatment, the practical difficulties of active surveillance, the current level 1 evidence on the mortality benefit of screening, and the associated pitfalls. It offers a detailed discussion on the ethics involved in the PSA test and highlights the barriers to shared decision-making and possible solutions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Kappler ◽  
Michael A. Morgan ◽  
Philipp Ivanyi ◽  
Stefan J. Brunotte ◽  
Arnold Ganser ◽  
...  

AbstractTo date, only few data concerning the biologically active, free form of testosterone (FT) are available in metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) and the impact of FT on disease, therapy and outcome is largely unknown. We retrospectively studied the effect of docetaxel on FT and total testosterone (TT) serum levels in 67 mPC patients monitored between April 2008 and November 2020. FT and TT levels were measured before and weekly during therapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were prostate-specific antigen response and radiographic response (PSAR, RR), progression-free survival (PFS), FT/TT levels and safety. Median FT and TT serum levels were completely suppressed to below the detection limit during docetaxel treatment (FT: from 0.32 to < 0.18 pg/mL and TT: from 0.12 to < 0.05 ng/mL, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified requirement of non-narcotics, PSAR, complete FT suppression and FT nadir values < 0.18 pg/mL as independent parameters for PFS. Prior androgen-receptor targeted therapy (ART), soft tissue metastasis and complete FT suppression were independent prognostic factors for OS. FT was not predictive for treatment outcome in mPC patients with a history of ART.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212110328
Author(s):  
Tchin Darré ◽  
Toukilnan Djiwa ◽  
Tchilabalo Matchonna Kpatcha ◽  
Albadia Sidibé ◽  
Edoé Sewa ◽  
...  

Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the knowledge of medical students in Lomé about these means of screening for prostate cancer in a context of limited resources and controversy about prostate cancer screening, and to identify the determinants associated with these results. Methods: This was a prospective descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted in the form of a survey of medical students regularly enrolled at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Lomé for the 2019–2020 academic years. Results: Of the 1635 eligible students, 1017 correctly completed the form, corresponding to a rate of 62.20%. The average age was 22 ± 3.35 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 2.5. Undergraduate students were the most represented (53.69%). Students who had not received any training on prostate cancer were the most represented (57.13%). Only 12.88% of the students had completed a training course in urology. Concerning the prostate-specific antigen blood test, there was a statistically significant relationship between the students’ knowledge and some of their socio-demographic characteristics, namely age (p value = 0.0037; 95% confidence interval (0.50–1.77)); gender (p value = 0.0034; 95% confidence interval (1.43–2.38)); study cycle (p value ˂ 0.0001; 95% confidence interval (0.56–5.13)) and whether or not they had completed a placement in a urology department (p value ˂ 0.0001; 95% confidence interval (0.49–1.55)). On the contrary, there was no statistically significant relationship between students’ knowledge of the digital rectal examination and their study cycle (p value = 0.082; 95% confidence interval (0.18–3.44)). Conclusion: Medical students in Lomé have a good theoretical knowledge and a fair practical level of the digital rectal examination clinical examination and an average theoretical knowledge and a below average practical level of prostate-specific antigen, increasing however along the curriculum in the context of prostate cancer screening.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3373
Author(s):  
Milena Matuszczak ◽  
Jack A. Schalken ◽  
Maciej Salagierski

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men worldwide. The current gold standard for diagnosing PCa relies on a transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic core needle biopsy indicated after detection changes in a digital rectal examination (DRE) and elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood serum. PSA is a marker produced by prostate cells, not just cancer cells. Therefore, an elevated PSA level may be associated with other symptoms such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or inflammation of the prostate gland. Due to this marker’s low specificity, a common problem is overdiagnosis, which leads to unnecessary biopsies and overtreatment. This is associated with various treatment complications (such as bleeding or infection) and generates unnecessary costs. Therefore, there is no doubt that the improvement of the current procedure by applying effective, sensitive and specific markers is an urgent need. Several non-invasive, cost-effective, high-accuracy liquid biopsy diagnostic biomarkers such as Progensa PCA3, MyProstateScore ExoDx, SelectMDx, PHI, 4K, Stockholm3 and ConfirmMDx have been developed in recent years. This article compares current knowledge about them and their potential application in clinical practice.


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