Prostate cancer detection at repeat biopsy: can pelvic phased-array multiparametric MRI replace saturation biopsy?
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Updated: May 13, 2026

Use of MRI-ultrasound Fusion to Achieve Targeted Prostate Biopsy
Published on: April 9, 2019
Pietro Pepe1, Antonio Garufi, Giandomenico Priolo
1Urology Unit, Cannizzaro Hospital, via Messina 829, Catania, Italy. piepepe@hotmail.com
Aim:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accuracy in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis in men submitted to saturation prostate biopsy (SPBx) was evaluated.
Materials And Methods:
From June 2011 to December 2012, 78 patients (median 63 years) underwent repeat SPBx (median 28 cores). Multiparametric MRI using a 3 Tesla pelvic phased-array coil was performed before SPBx and lesions suspicious for PCa were submitted to additional targeted biopsies.
Results:
A T1c PCa was found in 32 (41%) cases. SPBx vs. MRI-suspicious targeted biopsy diagnosed 28 (87.5%) vs. 26 (81.2%) PCa missing four (12.5%) and six (18.8%) cancers localized in the anterior zone and in the lateral margin of the prostate, respectively; moreover, MRI diameter lesions correlated with PCa diagnosis and Gleason score (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Multiparametric MRI improved SPBx accuracy in diagnosing PCa of the anterior zone; moreover, suspicious areas >10 mm resulted as highly predictive of cancer (about 70% of the cases).

