Safety and Diagnostic Yield of ⁶⁸Ga Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT-guided Robotic-assisted Transgluteal...

Background Transrectal US-guided biopsy with or without MRI fusion is performed for diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa) but has limitations. Gallium 68 (⁶⁸Ga) prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT-guided targeted biopsy has the potential to improve diagnostic yield of PCa. Purpose To evaluate the safety and diagnostic yield of ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/CT-guided, robotic-arm assisted transgluteal prostatic biopsy. Materials and Methods In this single-center nonrandomized prospective trial, participants with a clinical suspicion of PCa (serum prostate-specific antigen level > 4 ng/mL) were recruited from January 2019 to September 2020. After whole-body ⁶⁸Ga PSMA PET/CT, participants with PSMA-avid intraprostatic lesions underwent PET-guided transgluteal biopsy by using an automated robotic arm. To assess safety and diagnostic yield, procedure-related complications and histopathologic results were documented. Pain during the procedure was scored by a visual analog scale. Descriptive statistics were applied; qualitative variables were reported in percentages. Results Seventy-eight participants (mean age, 66 years ± 7 [standard deviation]; 36 participants [46%] with prior negative results at transrectal US-guided biopsy) were enrolled. Fifty-six (72%) participants had PSMA-avid lesions (prior negative results at transrectal US-guided biopsy in 22 of 56 [39%]) and underwent targeted biopsy. PCa was confirmed in 54 of 56 (96%) participants, and clinically significant PCa (Gleason score ≥ 7) was confirmed in 24 of 54 (44%). Two participants had nonrepresentative samples that required rebiopsy. All participants experienced pain during the procedure, mild (median visual analog scale score, 1; interquartile range, 1-2) in 36 of 56 (64%) and moderate (median visual analog scale score, 5; interquartile range, 5-6) in 20 of 56 (36%). Postprocedure complications were noted in five of 56 (9%) participants and were minor (hematuria, four participants; hematospermia, one participant; and gluteal pain, two participants). No participant developed a postprocedural infection. Conclusion Transgluteal prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT-guided, robotic-targeted prostatic biopsy is safe with a high diagnostic yield of prostate cancer for PSMA-avid lesions. Clinical trial registration no. NCT05022576 © RSNA, 2022.