Clinical Value of the Elastographic Q-Analysis Score in Assisting Real-Time Elastography-Guided Prostate Biopsy: A...

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of the elastographic Q-analysis score (EQS) in assisting real-time elastography- and transrectal US-guided prostate biopsy.

A total of 125 patients with 301 lesions were enrolled in this study; all were confirmed by pathologic results. The patients underwent transrectal US and elastographic examinations before biopsy. Elastographic Q-analysis score analysis software was used for measuring the mean EQS of the elastic images. First, the suspicious regions on elastography underwent biopsy. Then 12-core systematic prostate biopsy was performed. An EQS curve was used to calculate the mean EQS, and a receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to find the cutoff point for the EQS to predict prostate cancer.

Of the 301 lesions in this study, 125 were malignant, and 176 were benign. The mean EQS values of benign and malignant lesions ± SD were 1.47 ± 0.75 and 2.98 ± 1.06, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P < .05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.87. When the cutoff point was 1.95 for diagnosing malignant and benign lesions, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were 83.5%, 84.4%, 76.8%, 89.2%, 5.35, and 0.20.

The EQS could be used as a way to predict benign and malignant lesions and thus could serve as guidance for adding targeted biopsy.