Search

Introduction: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels can show wide fluctuations when repeatedly measured. Here we investigatewd if: (a) biopsy timing influences the prostate cancer (PC) detection rate in patients with fluctuating PSA (flu-PSA) in comparison with patients with steadily increasing PSA (si-PSA); (b) PSA slope estimated in patients with flu-PSA predicts a different risk of cancer detection; (c) flu-PSA and si-PSA patients develop PC in topographically different sites; (d) the behaviour of pre-operative PSA is an expression of a disease with defferent characteristics to the following radical prostatectomy., Methods: The study involved 211 patients who underwent at least a second biopsy after a first negative prostate biopsy. PSA Slope, PSA velocity (PSAV) and PSA doubling time (PSADT) were estimated. Flu-PSA level was defined as a PSA series with at least one PSA value lower than the one immediately preceding it., Results: 82 patients had flu-PSA levels and 129 si-PSA levels. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of cancer detection, clinical or pathological stage, but the si-PSA group with cancer had a higher Gleason score. No difference was found for PSA Slope between flu-PSA patients with cancer and those without., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates no difference in PC detection rate at repeat biopsy between patients with flu or si-PSA levels. PSA Slope, PSAV and PSADT were not found helpful tools in cancer detection.

Purpose 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computerized tomography may represent the most promising imaging modality to identify and risk stratify prostate cancer in patients with contraindications to or negative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and Methods In this prospective observational study we analyzed 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computerized tomography in a select group of patients with persistently elevated prostate specific antigen and/or Prostate Health Index suspicious for prostate cancer, negative digital rectal examination and at least 1 negative biopsy. The cohort comprised men with equivocal multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System, version 2 score of 2 or less), or an absolute or relative contraindication to multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. Sensitivity, specificity and CIs were calculated compared to histopathology findings. ROC analysis was applied to determine the optimal cutoff values of 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen uptake to identify clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason score 7 or greater). Results A total of 45 patients with a median age of 64 years were referred for 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computerized tomography between January and August 2017. The 25 patients (55.5%) considered to have positive positron emission tomography results underwent software assisted fusion biopsy. We determined the uptake values of regions of interest, including a median maximum standardized uptake value of 5.34 (range 2.25 to 30.41) and a maximum-to-background standardized uptake value ratio of 1.99 (range 1.06 to 14.42). Mean and median uptake values on 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (ie the maximum standardized uptake value or the maximum-to-background standardized uptake value ratio) were significantly higher for Gleason score 7 lesions than for Gleason score 6 or benign lesions (p <0.001). On ROC analysis a maximum standardized uptake value of 5.4 and a maximum-to-background standardized uptake value ratio of 2 discriminated clinically relevant prostate cancer with 100% overall sensitivity in each case, and 76% and 88% specificity, respectively. Conclusions Our findings support the use of 68 Ga labeled prostate specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computerized tomography for primary detection of prostate cancer in a specific subset of men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]