Prostate Biopsy in Selecting Candidates for Hemiablative Focal Therapy

Abstract

Focal therapy (FT) for the management of clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) is growing from a concept to reality because of increased interest of both patients and physicians. Selection protocols, however, are yet to be established. We discuss the role of prostate biopsy in candidate selection for FT and highlight the different strategies and technical aspects of the use of prostate biopsy in this setting. In our opinion, prostate biopsy plays a major role in the selection process and tailoring appropriate treatment strategy to the patient. FT necessitates dedicated biopsy schemes that would reliably predict the extent, nature, and location of PCa in selected patients. Currently, there is insufficient scientific evidence to propose a specific biopsy scheme that could fit every candidate, providing accurate characterization of the disease in the individual patient. Further research is necessary to establish solid selection protocols that would reliably identify appropriate candidates for FT of PCa.

The Role of Transrectal Saturation Biopsy in Tumour Localization: Pathological Correlation After Retropubic Radical Prostatectomy and Implication for Focal Ablative Therapy

“…However, the negative predictive value is sufficiently robust to exclude patients with bilateral disease. Although appropriate technology is readily available, the lack of consensus on appropriate candidate selection probably represents the main obstacle to practical implementation of FT as a treatment option for PCa [3]. Although Abdollah et al .…”