Transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx): patient perspectives

Prostate cancer continues to be a complex disease for which a cause or cure has not yet been identified. Many men are diagnosed each year and the incidence is likely to increase as greater numbers of men reach "old" age. The transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) is the predominant method to diagnose prostate cancer, and varying levels of patient pain have been associated with the procedure. The purpose of this ethnographic research study was to describe TRUS-Bx from the patients' perspective. Results from this study indicated that TRUS-Bx pain was strongly influenced by psychosocial factors, as well as physical aspects of the procedure.