MRI-targeted transperineal prostate biopsy (MRI-Targeted Transperineal Prostate Biopsy) is the most modern and safe precision method for diagnosing prostate cancer.
Urologist Dr. Angelos Economides has experience and specialised training in performing this examination.
Advantages:
- Targeted sampling ensures that even very small tumours in “difficult” locations of the prostate will not be missed
- It allows easy access even to the anterior parts of the prostate, which are difficult to reach with older techniques
- Because in the transperineal biopsy method the thin sampling needle enters through the perineum (the skin between the scrotum and the anus) rather than through the rectum as in the past, the risk of serious bacterial infections and sepsis is virtually eliminated. This has made the method extremely safe (preventive antibiotics are often not even required)
- The patient returns home the same day, with minimal or no discomfort
How the Biopsy is Performed
Before the procedure, the patient undergoes a multiparametric MRI of the prostate, where any “suspicious” areas are identified. These images are stored in the specialised software of the biopsy equipment.
The patient is in the operating theatre, usually under light general anaesthesia (sedation) or local/regional anaesthesia, and feels no pain.
The doctor inserts the transrectal ultrasound probe through the perineum to the suspicious area. A three-dimensional fusion of the stored MRI images with the live ultrasound images is then created on the doctor’s screen. This allows the doctor to see, with millimetre precision, exactly where the suspicious lesion is located.
With the help of a special guide (stepper/grid), the doctor directs the needle precisely to the suspicious area indicated by the MRI, taking targeted tissue samples, as well as systematic samples from the entire prostate if needed. The samples are sent for histological examination.
