Urologists convened last month at the Southeast Conference of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Mobile to deliver results from a study of a prostate biopsy targeting method that guides accurate and reproducible prostate biopsies. Additionally, the preliminary data shows that the stereotactic biopsy system, called TargetScan, may be used to guide delivery of targeted, focal prostate cancer therapies.
“We now have greater confidence in diagnosing prostate disease and have much more accurate information to advise patients of their treatment options,” explains James K. Bennett, M.D., a leading urologist in private practice in Atlanta and co-author of the study. “Our study shows that we can obtain better biopsies, repeat them with accuracy, monitor patients for follow-up, and ultimately create targeted therapies to kill cancer within the prostate with minimal side effects.”
The study, titled TargetScan: A Novel Approach for Outpatient Prostate Biopsy and Potential Aid to Focal Prostate Therapy, analyzed 50 men receiving first-time biopsies at Midtown Urology Surgical Center in Atlanta and showed that the TargetScan stereotactic method identifying sample locations in 3-dimensional detail delivered cancer detection results comparable to other methods. The targeting capability provides better information regarding the extent of disease and provides opportunity to consider alternative treatment methods for men seeking to avoid the sexual dysfunction and incontinence associated with radical prostatectomy.
