Difference in MRI-guided biopsy cancer detection rates between individual clinicians

A number of studies have described the overall institutional learning curve for magnetic resonance imaging-guided biopsy but none have evaluated differences and interactions between clinicians. Therefore, we aim to measure and compare the cancer detection rates between individual radiologists and urologists at a single academic institution.

A consecutive sample of patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging-guided biopsy at a single institution were included for analysis. The detection of any and clinically significant (Gleason score ≥3+4) prostate cancer was compared between radiologists and urologists after adjusting for relevant demographic and clinical characteristics. Analysis was conducted on a perlesion basis and only the results of the targeted cores were considered in the primary analysis.

Two hundred eighty-one patients with 418 lesions were included in the study. Prostate cancer of any grade was detected in 43.7% (183/418) of targeted lesions. There was no difference in the distribution of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PIRADS) scores attributed by each radiologist (p = 0.43). The individual radiologist cancer detection rate for both overall and clinically significant cancer was similar across each PIRADS score except for the detection of any cancer in PIRADS 3 lesions (p = 0.03). There was no difference in the detection rates of any grade or clinically significant cancer between urologists.

This single institutional analysis found that the performance of radiologists and urologists was largely comparable. Theonly variation observed was among radiologists for PIRADS 3 lesions.