A Survey of Patient Preparation and Technique of Ultrasound-Guided Prostate Biopsy: A Multicenter Study of Urooncological Association

Abstract

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is the standard method for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The aim of the present survey is to assess the variability in patient preparation and technique of ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy among Turkish Urologists. Materials and Methods: In July 2004, a questionnaire was sent out to e-mail addresses of the members of Urooncological Association, asking about the details of prostate biopsy protocol of the members. The survey consisted of multiple choice questions about the patient preparation and prostate biopsy technique. Responses were acquired via e-mail and analyzed in detail. Results: Thirty two urologists from 24 centers responded. The biopsy procedure was performed by the urologist only in 54.16% of the centers, both urologist and radiologist in 37.5%, and radiologist only in 8.33%. Transrectal route was the most common method for ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. A half of the responders performed biopsy when PSA was greater than 4 ng/ml. All of the centers administered antibiotic and a half of them used enema before the procedure. Approximately 37% of responders did not administer any type of analgesia, but 29.1% of all responders administered a periprostatic nerve block for reducing pain during the procedure. Most urologists obtained 10 or 12 biopsy cores and only 20.8% of them obtained routine transitional zone biopsy during the initial biopsy session. Conclusion: This survey demonstrated that patient preparation and technique of ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is not standardized among Turkish Urologists, and a guideline on prostate biopsy is needed.