Effects of sextant transrectal prostate biopsy plus additional far lateral cores in improving cancer detection rates in men with large prostate glands

PURPOSE: To determine whether additional, far lateral cores improve the diagnostic performance of transrectal sextant biopsy in men with large prostate glands. METHODS: Men with prostate volumes of 50 mL or greater in transrectal ultrasonography who were suspected of prostatic adenocarcinoma were prospectively enrolled. Biopsy criteria were defined as 2.0 ng/mL or greater of serum total prostate-specific antigen and/or abnormal findings on digital rectal examination. Four cores of far lateral biopsies were added to the standard sextant technique. RESULTS: Of 104 patients enrolled in the present study and undergoing biopsy, 14 (13.5%) were diagnosed as having prostate cancer and 27 (26.0%) were diagnosed as having prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or an atypical gland. There were no cases where cancer was only detected in the additional cores, whereas PIN/atypical gland was uniquely detected from the additional, far lateral sites in eight of the 27 patients who were diagnosed with this condition. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of patients diagnosed as having PIN/atypical gland might increase with the addition of far lateral cores, this additional sampling does not improve cancer detection rates in men with large prostate glands.