Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can detect high-grade prostate cancer better than conventional methods, according to an article published online in September in the Journal of Urology.
The technique is a more appropriate approach for screening clinically important cancers and monitoring low-risk ones with fewer biopsies, the research team from Thomas Jefferson University concluded.
The researchers conducted a phase III, randomized, double-blind trial in 311 men, of whom 118 had positive prostate cancer biopsies. In the trial, CEUS detected almost three times (55% versus 17%) as many higher-grade cancers using half as many needle biopsies compared with systematic biopsy methods.
The group performed targeted biopsies using CEUS with flash replenishment maximum intensity projection MicroFlow Imaging (Toshiba America Medical Systems) on all patients, with a systematic 12-core biopsy protocol for comparison.
Mean patient age was 62 years with a prostate-specific antigen level of 6.5 ng/mL. Dr. Ethan Halpern was the principal investigator of the four-year, U.S. National Cancer Institute-supported trial.
