NICE has said that transperineal prostate biopsy using the freehand needle positioning device PrecisionPoint should be an option for diagnosing prostate cancer.
It has also said that 3 other devices can be used:
- EZU-PA3U device
- Trinity Perine Grid
- UA1232 puncture attachment.
There’s less evidence for these 3 devices, but they’re expected to be as good at detecting cancer, and similar in terms of safety, because they all work in a similar way to PrecisionPoint.
NICE looked at evidence for another type of device, called CamPROBE, but there was not enough evidence to be able to recommend it.
Standard prostate biopsy takes samples of prostate tissue by inserting a biopsy needle through the rectal wall via the anus. This is called a transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy, referred to as LA-TRUS when it is done under local anaesthetic (LA).
Another way of doing it is to insert the needle through the perineum, which is the area between the anus and the scrotum. This is a transperineal prostate (TP) biopsy, referred to as LATP when it is done using local anaesthetic.
Transperineal biopsy works as well as transrectal biopsy for detecting cancer, but people who have it are less likely to get infections and sepsis, which is a rare but serious potential side effect.
Information and support
The NHS website may be a good place to find out more.
You can also get support from your local Healthwatch.
NICE is not responsible for the quality or accuracy of any information or advice provided by these organisations.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-5200-7
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