Exploring the potential clinical value of shear wave elastography in prostate cancer: a meta-analysis

The potential role of shear wave elastography (SWE) in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases to identify correlated studies up to Dec 2024. A total of 137 studies were identified for potential inclusion, and 11 studies were included, comprising 1551 PCa patients. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for detecting malignant prostatic nodules were 90% (95% CI, 81-95%), 75% (95% CI, 62-84%) and 90% (95% CI: 87, 92%) in per-patient analysis, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 86% (95% CI: 72%, 95%), 86% (95% CI: 78%, 92%) and 92% (95% CI: 90%, 94%) in per-sextant analysis. Publication bias test addressed low significant small-study bias. We found that SWE may serve as a potential diagnostic strategy for PCa and may help to reduce the number of core biopsies. Since limited quantity and small sample size of included studies, further well-designed studies are strongly encouraged to address this promising strategy.