Higher Cancer Detection Research Articles

Radiation benefit and risk at the assessment stage of the UK Breast Screening Programme

The balance between benefit and radiation risk in a breast cancer screening programme has received much attention at the initial screening stage. This paper extends that attention to first stage assessment, i.e. the first stage at which women are recalled for further investigation because of suspected lesions or other suspect film features, and prior to any biopsy. Numbers of films, including magnification films, taken at this stage, have been established in two UK regions by different methods. Average total mean glandular dose has been calculated using published data of dose per film from initial screening and a multiplying factor to allow for magnification film dose. It is concluded that the benefit/risk ratio is considerably higher at first stage assessment than at initial screening by a factor of between 4 and 9, because of the very much higher cancer detection rate in this well-defined sub-group of women. Qualitatively, this conclusion is unaffected by the quite wide variation between screening centres in the numbers of films taken at first stage assessment.

Detection rates of high-grade prostate cancer during subsequent screening visits. Results of the European Randomized Screening Study for Prostate Cancer

Screening for prostate cancer using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests has led to a stage and grade shift as compared to the pre-PSA era. Effectiveness of screening for prostate cancer should be manifested by a reduction in detection rate of aggressive cancers during subsequent screening. In 6 centers of the European Randomized Screening study for Prostate Cancer, a total of 58,710 men were tested for prostate cancer. Screening centers differed with regard to age-range, screening interval and biopsy indications. During the 2nd visit, the proportion of Gleason score 6 cancers increased from 62.5 to 75%, mainly at the expense of Gleason score 7 cancers. High-grade (Gleason score 8-10) cancer detection rates varied per screening center during the 1st visit from 5.1 to 41.1, and during the 2nd visit from 6.4 to 29.3/10,000 men. The overall detection rate of high-grade cancers showed a reduction during the 2nd visit from 26 to 12/10,000 men, an effect mainly attributable to the screening center with the highest cancer detection rate (i.e. 507/10,000 men). Variations in detection rates among screening centers related among others to biopsy compliance and age range.

Concordance of Gleason Scores between Prostate Needle Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens according to the Number of Biopsy Cores

Purpose: Accurate grading of tumor is critical for administering the correct prostate cancer treatment. Meanwhile, the concordance of Gleason scores (GS) between sextant prostate needle biopsy and the radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen is known to be poor. We investigate if extended needle biopsy could improve the cancer detection rate and GS accuracy. Materials and Methods: A total 826 consecutive patients each underwent 12 core prostate biopsies guided by TRUS. Of these patients, 136 consecutive patients underwent RP. Of the systemic 12 cores, we compared the subset of standard sextant cores, the set of lateral sextant cores and the 12 core set. Results: The biopsy were positive in 218 cases (26.4%), 213 cases (25.7%) and 265 cases (32%) for the standard sextant, lateral sextant and twelve core biopsy, respectively. Concordance between prostate biopsy and prostatectomy GS was observed in 71 of 104 cases (68.3%), 80 of 110 cases (72.7%) and 98 of 136 cases (72.1%) for the standard sextant, lateral sextant and twelve core biopsy, respectively. Upgrading of 1 or more points was done in 26 of 104 cases (25.0%), 19 of 110 cases (17.3%) and 26 of 136 cases (19.1%), and downgrading 1 or more point was done in 7 of 104 cases (6.7%), 11 of 110 cases (10.0%) and 12 of 136 cases (8.8%) with the standard sextant, lateral sextant and twelve core biopsy, respectively. Conclusions: Twelve core needle biopsies lead to a higher cancer detection rate than do the sextant and lateral sextant needle biopsies. Twelve core and lateral sextant needle biopsies lead to higher concordance of the needle biopsy and surgical specimen GS compared with the standard sextant needle biopsy. (Korean J Urol 2006;47:482-488) ꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏꠏ

A prospective study of same day bi-directional endoscopy in the evaluation of patients with occult gastrointestinal bleeding

Objective. Previous studies show conflicting results in the diagnostic yield of oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) and colonoscopy (bi-directional) in identifying potential bleeding sources (PBS) in patients investigated for occult gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic yield of bi-directional endoscopy in patients presenting with OGIB and to assess the factors predictive of a positive yield. Material and methods. Patients with OGIB referred to the gastroenterology unit were prospectively included in the study. Colonoscopy was immediately followed by OGD. Predetermined criteria for the diagnosis of a PBS were used. Potential clinical factors predictive of positive yield were assessed. Results. Of the 219 patients (mean age 65 years, 34% M), 110 (50%) had at least one PBS. Colonoscopy revealed 87 PBS in 73 patients (33%), the most common being adenoma. OGD detected 49 PBS in 48 patients (22%), gastric ulcer being the most common. Of the patients with PBS at OGD, 23% also had a PBS at colonoscopy, including 3 patients with colonic cancers. Patients presenting with either a positive faecal occult blood test (FOBT) or iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) only had a significantly lower yield for PBS than patients with combined positive FOBT and IDA. The percentages of patients with a PBS increased substantially with age. Conclusions. A PBS was found in only 50% of the patients. Colonoscopy had a slightly higher diagnostic yield, and as expected, resulted in a significantly higher cancer detection rate than OGD. In older patients, colonoscopy should be done irrespective of the findings at OGD. Gastrointestinal-specific symptoms and the use of ASA/NSAIDs were not predictive in finding or localizing PBS.

The Potential Impact of Prostate Volume in the Planning of Optimal Number of Cores in the Systematic Transperineal Prostate Biopsy

ObjectivesWe compared the detection rates of different transperineal prostate biopsy protocols with the aim to optimize the number of cores to sample according to prostate volume. Material and methodsFrom October 2002 to October 2004 we evaluated 480 consecutive patients with PSA between 2.5 and 20ng/ml undergoing the first set of prostate biopsy. All patients underwent a 14-core TRUS-guided transperineal prostate biopsy, including 12 cores in the peripheral and two in the transitional zone. The detection rate of the 14-core scheme was compared to the one of the other biopsy schemes obtained through the exclusion of pairs of cores. Data were stratified according to the different TRUS estimated prostate volumes. ResultsThe detection rate of the standard sextant was 35.2%, while those of the 8-core schemes ranged from 37.1 to 38.8%. The 10-core schemes yielded detection rates of 39.6–40.8% and the protocol with 12 biopsies in the peripheral zone diagnosed prostate cancer in 42.1% of the patients. In patients with <30cc prostate volume, the detection rate of the 14-core scheme was 43.8% and resulted statistically overlapping to the 8-peripheral cores protocol. In patients with 30.1–50cc prostate volume a 12-peripheral core biopsy reproduced the results of the 14-core sampling. In prostates larger than 50cc, an even more extensive procedure was mandatory, considering the low detection rate of the 14-core scheme (24.2%). ConclusionTransperineal prostate biopsy is a safe procedure with a very low complication rate and high cancer detection rate. Prostate volume is the most relevant variable in the planning of the optimal number of cores in the extensive first biopsy set. A protocol with more than 8 peripheral cores) is recommended only in patients with prostate volume larger than 30cc.

Diagnostische Mammographie und Sonographie: Korrelation von diagnostischer BI-RADS-Einstufung mit dem histologischen und klinischen Endbefund

The purpose of the study was to assess the final clinical outcome of BI-RADS Categories for diagnostic mammography and sonography. We analysed 632 mammography and sonography examinations from women with diagnostic indications (age: 23 - 100, mean 58) performed during 2001 and 2003. All patients received mammography and sonography examinations at different outside facilities and all patients received an additional sonography examination at the university radiology department and if necessary supplemental mammographic views. Final clinical outcome (Histology: 554; follow-up: 78) was ascertained in each case and concordance of BI-RADS-categories for mammography and sonography and final diagnosis were analysed. Final diagnosis yielded 230 benign lesions (36 %) and 402 cancers (64 %). Concordance of BI-RADS Assessment and final outcome was documented in 542 cases (86 %). There were 11 correct category 1 and 2 assessments (2 %). 142 lesions were classified with BI-RADS 3 (22 %) with 5 false negative ratings. There were 264 category 4 lesions (42 %) with a PPV for a malignant lesion of 71 % (187/264) and finally 215 BI-RADS 5 lesions with a PPV of 98 % (210/215). Overall sensitivity of mammography was 92 % with specificity of 75 % and for sonography 86 % and 76 %. Mammography had a significantly higher detection rate for malignant lesions than sonography. The highest correlation between BI-RADS category and final outcome was documented for the diagnostic combination of mammography and sonography with a kappa-value of 0.817 (p < 0.001), followed by mammography (kappa: 0.684) and sonography (kappa: 0.631). The overall correlation was 0.681 (p < 0.001). BI-RADS assessments of diagnostic mammography and sonography yields in a high cancer detection rate with a justifiable part of false positive ratings.

Transperineal ultrasound-guided 12-core systematic biopsy of the prostate for patients with a prostate-specific antigen level of 2.5–20 ng/ml in Japan

The aim of this study was to investigate the cancer detection rate in patients with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 2.5 to 20 ng/ml, using transperineal ultrasound-guided systematic biopsy of the prostate. Three hundred consecutive patients with PSA levels of 2.5 to 20 ng/ml underwent transperineal ultrasound-guided 12-core systematic biopsy of the prostate. Prostate cancer was detected in 108 of the 300 patients (36.0%). The cancer detection rates in patients with total PSA levels of 2.5-4.0, 4.01-10.0 and 10.01-20.0 ng/ml were 18.2%, 31.0%, and 50.0%, respectively. The cancer detection rates in patients with prostate volumes of less than 30 cc and over 50 cc were almost 50%, and 13.3%, respectively. The cancer detection rate in patients with a PSA density (PSAD) of less than 0.10 ng/ml per cc was only 5.6%, and no prostate cancer was detected in patients with a free-to-total PSA ratio (% f PSA) over 40%. We demonstrated a high prostate cancer detection rate by the transperineal ultrasound-guided 12-core systematic biopsy method in patients with PSA levels of 2.5 to 20 ng/ml. Accordingly, if the number of core biopsies is further increased overall, except in patients with a large prostate volume, and if the indication for biopsy is decided based on the PSAD and %f PSA, then the cancer detection rate by the present method may be further improved, with fewer unnecessary biopsies.

The utility of apical anterior horn biopsies in prostate cancer detection

We sought to determine the utility of adding apical anterior horn biopsies to systematic prostate sampling regimens in detecting cancer in men with measured prostate volume ≤50 cc. We reviewed the biopsy data of consecutive men referred for an abnormal digital rectal exam or PSA elevation ≥4.0 ng/mL. All of these patients underwent lesion directed biopsy as well as a systematic 12-core biopsy regimen consisting of the standard sextant, bilateral lateral mid- and lateral base-sites, and bilateral apical anterior horn sites. Overall cancer detection and unique cancer detection rates were calculated for each of the 12 sites, stratified by race, age, PSA, and findings on digital rectal exam. In addition, cancer detection rates of various biopsy schemes were calculated and compared. There were 255 men undergoing biopsy who had calculated prostate volume ≤50 cc, and the prostate cancer detection rate was 47%. The overall cancer detection rate of apical anterior horn biopsies ranged between 29% and 56%. The utility of these biopsies was greatest in men with normal rectal exam and PSA <10 ng/mL, with unique cancer detection rates of 6% and 4%, respectively. Including the apical anterior horn biopsies in an 8-biopsy scheme (anterior, apex, lateral mid, lateral base) yielded cancer detection rates greater than 91% in all subgroups that were not statistically different from extended 10- and 12-core biopsy regimens. Apical anterior horn prostate biopsies target cancers that are potentially in the anterior region of the prostate, a region under-sampled using traditional schemes. The use of these biopsies as part of an 8-core biopsy pattern provides high cancer detection in all groups of patients and may represent a new standard.

Predictors of cancer in repeat extended multisite prostate biopsy in men with previous negative extended multisite biopsy

Objectives To evaluate the factors influencing the cancer detection rate in men whose initial and repeat biopsies were both performed using an extended multisite biopsy scheme.Sextant biopsy of the prostate is associated with a significant false-negative rate, as evident from the high cancer detection rate after repeat prostate biopsy. Extended multisite biopsy schemes have therefore been recommended to maximize cancer detection. Methods Between June 1997 and August 2001, 939 men underwent prostate biopsy for early detection of prostate cancer using the extended multisite scheme (10 or 11 cores incorporating the anterior horn of the peripheral zone with or without midline peripheral zone and/or the transition zone). Of these 939 men, 89 (9.5%) underwent a repeat extended multisite prostate biopsy. The median prostate-specific antigen level was 6.9 ng/mL (range 0.7–36.1). Twenty-four men (27%) had an abnormal digital rectal examination at presentation. Most men (86%) in the group undergoing repeat biopsy had two or more risk factors for a positive biopsy. The median interval between biopsies was 4 months. Results Of the 89 men, 15 (17%) had prostate cancer in the repeat biopsy specimen. Seven cancers (47%) were found only in the alternate biopsy sites, 5 (33%) cancers were found only in the sextant sites, and 3 in both sextant and alternate sites. Cancer was present in only one biopsy core in 11 (73%) of the 15 men, and the median Gleason score was 6 (range 6–8). On multivariate analysis, the presence of atypical glands suspicious for carcinoma (AGSC) was the only independent predictor of cancer in repeat biopsy ( P <0.004). Of the 79 men without AGSC in the initial biopsy, 8 (10%) had a positive repeat biopsy. The total and percent free prostate-specific antigen level, digital rectal examination, ultrasound findings, and presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were not predictive of cancer detection. Conclusions The probability of a positive result for a repeat prostate biopsy is lower after an initial extended multisite biopsy compared with an initial sextant biopsy. The presence of AGSC was the only significant predictor of cancer in the repeat biopsy. Because nearly 50% of cancers detected in the repeat biopsy were in alternate sites only, using a sextant biopsy scheme for repeat biopsy would have missed these cancers.

Improving the accuracy of mammography: volume and outcome relationships.

Countries with centralized, high-volume mammography screening programs, such as the U.K. and Sweden, emphasize high specificity (low percentage of false positives) and high sensitivity (high percentage of true positives). By contrast, the United States does not have centralized, high-volume screening programs, emphasizes high sensitivity, and has lower average specificity. We investigated whether high sensitivity can be achieved in the context of high specificity and whether the number of mammograms read per radiologist (reader volume) drives both sensitivity and specificity. The U.K.'s National Health Service Breast Screening Programme uses the PERFORMS 2 test as a teaching and assessment tool for radiologists. The same 60-film PERFORMS 2 test was given to 194 high-volume U.K. radiologists and to 60 U.S. radiologists, who were assigned to low-, medium-, or high-volume groups on the basis of the number of mammograms read per month. The standard binormal receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) model was fitted to the data of individual readers. Detection accuracy was measured by the sensitivity at specificity = 0.90, and differences among sensitivities were determined by analysis of variance. The average sensitivity at specificity = 0.90 was 0.785 for U.K. radiologists, 0.756 for high-volume U.S. radiologists, 0.702 for medium-volume U.S. radiologists, and 0.648 for low-volume U.S. radiologists. At this specificity, low-volume U.S. radiologists had statistically significantly lower sensitivity than either high-volume U.S. radiologists or U.K. radiologists, and medium-volume U.S. radiologists had statistically significantly lower sensitivity than U.K. radiologists (P<.001, for all comparisons). Reader volume is an important determinant of mammogram sensitivity and specificity. High sensitivity (high cancer detection rate) can be achieved with high specificity (low false-positive rate) in high-volume centers. This study suggests that there is great potential for optimizing mammography screening.

THE VALUE OF A SINGLE BIOPSY WITH 12 TRANSPERINEAL CORES FOR DETECTING PROSTATE CANCER IN PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN

Prostate cancer detection on standard sextant biopsy is considered inadequate. Various biopsy protocols have been introduced to improve cancer diagnosis. We report our experience with transperineal 12-core prostate biopsy. In a prospective study 650 patients underwent prostate specific antigen (PSA) measurement during a 15-month period, of whom 141 with PSA greater than 4 ng./ml. also underwent transperineal 12-core prostate biopsy using the fan technique. Median PSA was 8 ng./ml. (range 4.1 to 5,000). Prostate cancer was detected in 72 of the 141 patients (51%), including 44 of the 97 (45%) with PSA between 4.1 and 10 ng./ml. This incidence is higher than previously reported in the literature using other biopsy techniques. Disease was low grade Gleason 2 to 4 in 4 cases (5%), intermediate grade Gleason 5 to 6 in 26 (35%) and high grade Gleason 7 to 10 in the remaining 42 (60%). A high cancer detection rate is achieved by 12-core transperineal prostate biopsy. Most tumors represent clinically significant cancer. Further randomized trials are required to confirm these data.

PP-4-21 Evaluation of the european pilot project in navarra; A high breast cancer detection rate in the first round and a low rate in the second round

PP-4-21 Evaluation of the european pilot project in navarra; A high breast cancer detection rate in the first round and a low rate in the second round

Mammography screening guidelines for women 40 to 49 and over 65 years old

Many organizations in the United States recommend mammography screening at 1- to 2-year intervals for those 40 to 49 years old. In most areas of Canada and Europe, screening mammography is not recommended for women 40 to 49 years old. These differences have arisen over interpretation of data from the Health Insurance Plan (HIP) study and the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP). The apparent benefit in the HIP study is probably attributable to poor survival of control subjects with stage 1 cancers. In the BCDDP, although high cancer detection rates by mammography and improved survival of patients with screen-detected cancer were seen, the latter was probably largely due to lead time bias. The screening studies in Canada and Europe show no evidence of effectiveness of mammography screening in women 40 to 49 years old, at least in the first 10 years after screening is initiated. For women over 65 there are few data, but screening to age 74 is probably appropriate.

Radiologic aspects of breast cancers detected through a breast cancer screening program

Early detection of breast cancer and reduced mortality in women with this disease is today attributed to the widespread use of mammography. High-quality performance is essential in every step of breast cancer screening programs in order to avoid unnecessary anxiety and surgery in the women concerned. This report presents the radiologic aspects of screening cancers. A total of 8370 asymptomatic women aged between 50–69 years were screened with 2-view mammography, of which only 70 (0.84%) were selected for surgery after a thorough work-up. Cancers were verified histologically in 61 women and 9 showed non-malignant histology, giving a cancer detection rate of 7.3 cancers per thousand screened asymptomatic woman. The benign/malignant ratio in the operated cases is thus approximately 1:7. The cancers detected showed all existing types of mammographic features where 77% (47 cases) showed rather typical findings, such as spiculated densities both with and without microcalcifications and with microcalcifications only. The remaining 23% (14 cases) showed parenchymal distortions, asymmetric and well-defined densities, both with and without calcifications. Our results indicate that surgery can be minimized without impairing the breast cancer detection rate. Radiologists in screening programs should be aware that a large proportion of non-palpable breast cancers present in rather unconventional forms. This point is important in order to maintain a high cancer detection rate and thereby justify the widespread use of mammography as a screening tool for breast cancer in asymptomatic women.