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Abstract

We thank the editor for addressing this point, and we agree that the number of cores taken on the initial biopsy may have an important impact on the prostate cancer (PCa) detection rate. However, the initial scheme of biopsy performed in our patients represents the common practice of the urologist. Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that the differences (if any) in the number of cores taken on the initial biopsy were selective for 1 group of patients. For example, it is unlikely that all patients in the transrectal group underwent a sextant initial biopsy (6 cores), whereas all patients in the transperineal group underwent an extended initial biopsy (12 cores). Most probably, the differences between the 2 groups were nonselective. Accordingly, it is unlikely that our observations were significantly biased by this variable. Nonetheless, it should be considered when interpreting our results, and further prospective randomized trials are warranted to confirm our findings. Editorial CommentUrologyVol. 77Issue 4PreviewThe authors in this article compared 2 different techniques: the transrectal and the transperineal saturation rebiopsy for men who have had at least 1 prior negative biopsy result, after matching several variables such as age, prostate-specific antigen, prostate volume, digital rectal examination, previous atypical small acinar proliferation, and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. The authors concluded that both approaches were associated with almost similar cancer detection rates. Full-Text PDF