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Objective: To prospectively determine the value of post-MRI micro-ultrasonography (microUS) in the diagnosis of transition zone (TZ) significant prostate cancer (sPCa)., Patients and Methods: Eighty-four consecutive men (66 ± 6.3 years) with a mean PSA level of 10.2 ± 7.4 ng/mL and at least one TZ-PI-RADS > 2 lesion were included. All patients had MRI-directed microUS and biopsy. Sensitivity and specificity of post-MRI microUS to visualize PI-RADS > 2 TZ lesions, the cancer detection rate of TZ-sPCa, and tumor characteristics according to their visibility on microUS were evaluated. Interreader agreement for detecting microUS+ lesions was evaluated using Cohen's kappa test., Results: Of the 92 PI-RADS > 2 lesions, 71 (71/92; 77%) were visible on microUS and biopsy was performed without image fusion, which was required for the 21 invisible lesions (21/92; 22.8%). TZ-sPCa detection rate was 51.1% (47/92). Sensitivity and specificity of MRI-directed microUS were 83% (39/47; 95% CI: 69.2-92.4%) and 28.9% (13/45; 95% CI: 16.4-44.3%), on a per-lesion basis and 86.4% (38/45; 95% CI: 72.6-94.8%) and 27.5% (11/40; 95% CI: 14.6-43.9%) on a per-patient basis. Visible tumors on microUS exhibited a larger volume and a lower mean ADC value than non-visible tumors (15.8 ± 5.1 vs. 12.5 ± 3.6 mm and 0.82 ± 1.1 × 10 3 vs. 0.9 ± 1.4 × 10 -3 mm 2 /s) (p = 0.02). Non-visible tumors showed a heterogeneous non-specific echotexture or were masked by the shadowing caused by corpora amylacea. Interreader agreement was almost perfect (kappa = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.79-0.95). The main limitation is the single-center feature of the study., Conclusion: MRI-targeted transrectal microUS is effective to detect TZ-sPCa. TRUS-MRI image fusion helps overcome limitations due to TZ tissue heterogeneity., Key Points: microUS can visualize the majority of MRI-detected PI-RADS > 2 TZ lesions (sensitivity = 83%). Interreader agreement of MRI-directed microUS in the detection of TZ lesions appears excellent (kappa = 0.88). In 77% of PI-RADS > 2 TZ lesions, biopsy was performed under microUS visual control. MRI fusion system was only used to overcome limitations due to tissue heterogeneity of benign prostatic hyperplasia., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Objectives: To evaluate the ability of high-frequency (29 MHz) transrectal micro-ultrasound (microUS) as a second-look examination after biparametric MRI (bp-MRI) and to reidentify focal lesions seen on diagnostic MRI and to detect new ones METHODS: A total of 118 consecutive men (mean age, 66 ± 13 [SD] years; range, 49-93 years) with a mean prostate-specific antigen level of 11 ± 19 (SD) ng/mL (range, 2-200 ng/mL) and at least one focal lesion (MRI+) with a score > 2 on bp-MRI were included. Of these, 79/118 (66.9%) were biopsy-naïve and 102/118 (86.5%) had non-suspicious rectal examination. All patients had MRI-directed microUS-guided biopsy using a 29-MHz transducer. All lesions visible on micro-ultrasound (microUS+) were targeted without image fusion, which was only used for MRI+/microUS- lesions. Significant prostate cancer (sPCa) was defined by a Gleason score ≥ 7 or a maximum cancer core length > 3 mm., Results: A total of 144 focal prostatic lesions were analyzed, including 114 (114/144, 79.2%) MRI+/microUS+ lesions, 13 MRI+/microUS- lesions (13/144, 9%), and 17 MRI-/microUS+ lesions (17/144, 11.8%). Significant PCa was detected in 70 MRI+/microUS+ lesions (70/114, 61.4%), in no MRI+/microUS- lesion (0/13, 0%), and in 4 MRI-/microUS+ lesions (4/17, 23.5%). The sensitivity and specificity of microUS on a per-patient and a per-lesion basis were 100% (95% CI, 84.9-100%) and 22.8% (95% CI, 12.5-35.8%) and 100% (95% CI, 85.1-100%) and 22.6% (95% CI, 12.3-36.2%), respectively., Conclusion: MicroUS, as a second-look examination, may show promise to localize targets detected on bp-MRI., Key Points: • Used as a second-look examination, microUS-guided biopsies have a 100% detection rate of sCa originating in the PZ or lower third of the TZ, without microUS-MRI image fusion. • MicroUS results may provide additional information about lesions visible on MRI. • MicroUS may provide the ability to detect small PZ lesions undetected by bp-MRI.

Purpose: To analyse the rate of secondary malignancies observed in a series of 675 prostate cancer patients who underwent a permanent implant brachytherapy between 1999 and 2003, and to compare the incidence with the expected rate in a matched general French population., Material and Methods: The cohort included low-risk patients and a selection of "favourable-intermediate" risk patients. All patients were homogeneously treated using an intraoperative dynamic planning prostate brachytherapy technique, with loose 125-iodine seeds and a prescription dose of 145Gy. The mean follow-up was 132 months., Results: The 10-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90-94). The 10-year relapse-free survival rate was 82% (95% CI: 79-85). Overall, 61 second cancers were registered. When comparing with a matched general French population, the standard incidence ratio (SIR) for bladder cancer was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.46-1.93). For colorectal cancer, the SIR was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.19-0.89). For lung cancer, the SIR was 0.38 (95% CI: 0.17-0.76). The SIR for all cancers was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.47-0.79). When excluding secondary colorectal and lung cancers (both with low SIRs in this series), the SIR for all cancers was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.77-1.29)., Conclusion: With a mean follow-up of more than 11 years, this series does not detect any excess risk of second cancers associated with permanent implant prostate brachytherapy. However, due to power limitation, a small increase in the risk of secondary malignancies cannot be totally ruled out., (Copyright © 2017 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To analyse long-term overall survival, relapse-free survival and late toxicities in a series of 675 patients treated between 1999 and 2003, with a median follow-up of 132 months., Patients and Methods: The cohort included low-risk patients and a selection of "favourable-intermediate" risk patients. All patients were homogeneously treated using an intraoperative dynamic planning prostate brachytherapy technique, with loose 125 iodine seeds. Hormone therapy, consisting most often of an anti-androgen alone, was given in 393 patients (58%)., Results: The 10-year overall survival was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90-94) without a significant difference between the low and the select intermediate-risk groups (P=0.17). The 10-year relapse-free survival rate for the entire cohort was 82% (95% CI: 79-85), and was significantly higher in the low-risk group than in the intermediate one (87 vs 71%; P<0.0001). Twenty-six percent of the relapses observed in this series occurred after more than 10 years of follow-up. The 10-year cumulative incidence of grade 3-4 urinary toxicity (whatever the delay and the recovery) was 5.78%. The cumulative incidence of grades 3-4 rectal toxicity in the present series was 1.65% at 10 years. As for sexual toxicity, 61% of our patients retained an erectile capacity at 10 years (with or without oral medication), with age being a major factor., Conclusion: With a median follow-up of more than 11 years, this series appears to confirm the excellent long-term results of low-dose rate prostate brachytherapy, both in terms of survival and in terms of toxicity., (Copyright © 2016 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We determined whether endorectal multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 Tesla could predict tumor target volume in the perspective of focal therapy of prostate cancer., Materials and Methods: A total of 84 consecutive patients underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging before radical prostatectomy. The volume of each suspicious area detected on magnetic resonance imaging and of all surgical histological foci was determined by planimetry. We first used each magnetic resonance imaging sequence (T2-weighted, diffusion weighted and dynamic contrast enhanced) and then the sequence showing the largest tumor area (multiparametric volume). Finally, the largest area of any sequence was used to calculate a target volume according to the volume of a cylinder. Agreement between magnetic resonance imaging and pathological findings was assessed by linear regression and residual analysis., Results: Histology revealed 99 significant tumors with a volume of greater than 0.2 cc and/or a Gleason score of greater than 6. Of the tumors 16 (16.2%) were undetected by multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. Linear regression analysis showed that tumor volume estimated by T2-weighted or diffusion weighted imaging correlated significantly with pathological volume (r(2) = 0.82 and 0.83, respectively). Residuals from diffusion weighted imaging volume estimations did not significantly differ from 0. Nevertheless, diffusion weighted imaging underestimated pathological volume in 43 of 87 cases (49%) by a mean of 0.56 cc (range 0.005 to 2.84). Multiparametric and target volumes significantly overestimated pathological volume by a mean of 16% and 44% with underestimation in 28 (32%) and 15 cases (17%), respectively. Volume underestimation was significantly higher for tumor foci less than 0.5 cc. The percent of Gleason grade 4 did not influence tumor volume estimation., Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging can detect most significant tumors. However, delineating a target volume may require further adjustment before planning magnetic resonance imaging targeted focal treatment., (Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We compared the accuracy of visual targeted biopsies vs computerized transrectal ultrasound-magnetic resonance imaging registration using a rigid (Esaote®, nondeformable) or elastic (Koelis®, deformable) approach., Materials and Methods: A total of 391 consecutive patients with suspected localized prostate cancer were prospectively included in analysis. All patients underwent prostate magnetic resonance imaging, followed by 10 to 12-core random prostate biopsies. When magnetic resonance imaging detected suspicious findings, targeted biopsy was performed, including visual, rigid system and elastic system targeted biopsies in the first 127 patients, the next 131 and the last 133, respectively. Cancer detection rates were assessed by conditional logistic regression. Targeted biopsies alone and random biopsies were further compared for the amount of tissue sampled and microfocal cancer detection, the latter defined as a single core with 5 mm or less of Gleason 6 cancer., Results: Patient characteristics and random biopsy detection rates were similar among the groups. Magnetic resonance imaging detected at least 1 suspicious area in 54 (42%), 78 (59%) and 82 patients (62%) in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The cancer detection rates of rigid and elastic system targeted biopsies were significantly higher than the random biopsy rate (p = 0.0065 and 0.0016, respectively). Visual targeted biopsy did not perform better than random biopsy (p = 0.66). Rigid and elastic system targeted biopsies allowed for decreasing the number of cores and the detection of microfocal cancer, while increasing the detection of high grade cancer., Conclusions: When performed with computerized magnetic resonance imaging-transrectal ultrasound image registration, targeted biopsy alone improved cancer detection over random biopsies, decreased the detection rate of microfocal cancer and increased the detection rate of cancer with a Gleason score of greater than 6., (Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of a 3D-endorectal 1mm-thick slices MRI acquisition for local staging of low, intermediate and high D'Amico risk prostate cancer (PCa)., Materials and Methods: 178 consecutive patients underwent a multiparametric MRI protocol prior to radical prostatectomy (RP). T2W images were acquired with the 3D sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions (SPACE) sequence (5mn acquisition time). Direct and indirect MRI signs of extracapsular extension (ECE) were evaluated to predict the pT stage. The likelihood of SVI (seminal vesicle invasion) was also assessed., Results: Histology showed ECE and SVI in 38 (21%) and 12 (7%) cases, respectively. MRI sensitivity and specificity to detect ECE were 55 and 96% if direct signs of ECE were used and 84 and 89% (p<0.05), if both direct and indirect signs were combined. D'Amico criteria did not influence MRI performance. Sensitivity and specificity for SVI detection were 83% and 99%., Conclusions: 3D data sets acquired with the SPACE sequence provides a high accuracy for local staging of prostate cancer. The use of indirect signs of ECE may be recommended in low D'Amico risk tumors to optimise patient selection for active surveillance or focal therapy., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To study the staging accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients showing unilateral low-risk cancer on prostate biopsy. A total of 58 consecutive patients with low-risk cancer (D'Amico classification) and unilateral cancer involvement on prostate biopsies were included prospectively. All patients underwent multiparametric endorectal MRI before radical prostatectomy, including T2-weighted (T2W), diffusion-weighted (DW) and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) sequences. Each gland was divided in eight octants. Tumor foci >0.2 cm(3) identified on pathological analysis were matched with MRI findings. Pathological examination showed tumor foci >0.2 cm(3) in 50/58 glands (86%), and bilateral tumor (pathological stagepT2c) in 20/58 (34%). For tumor detection in the peripheral zone (PZ), T2W+DWI+DCE performed significantly better than T2W+DWI and T2W alone (P<0.001). In the transition zone (TZ), only T2W+DWI performed better than T2W alone (P=0.02). With optimal MR combinations, tumor size was correctly estimated in 77% of tumor foci involving more than one octant. Bilateral tumors were detected in 80% (16/20) of cases. In patients with unilateral low-risk prostate cancer on biopsy, multiparametric MRI can help to predict bilateral involvement. Multiparametric MRI may therefore have a prognostic value and help to determine optimal treatment in such patients.

Objective: • To evaluate the combination of multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, including T2-weighted imaging (T2W), dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging (DCE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), for the detection and localization of prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: • In all, 57 patients underwent endorectal MRI at 1.5 T before radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer. • On T2W images and histological whole-mount analysis, the peripheral zone (PZ) and transition zone (TZ) were divided into upper and lower glands, as well as left and right halves, thus yielding four quadrants for each zone. • On histological analysis, the total number of tumour foci, their location and larger diameter were recorded. T2W alone, T2W + DWI, T2W + DCE and all three techniques combined were scored for the likelihood of tumour in each area and results were compared with whole-mount analysis. • The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (A(z)) was used to evaluate accuracy for tumour detection. The association between MR accuracy and Gleason score was statistically assessed., Results: • Of the 456 prostate octants analysed, 145 showed cancer on whole-mount analysis, 120 (83%) of them with a diameter assumed to correspond to a volume >0.2 cm³. Gleason score was ≥7 in 68 (47%) tumours. • In the PZ, the A(z) value was significantly higher for T2W + DWI, T2W + DCE and all three techniques combined than for T2W alone (P < 0.05). • In the TZ, the A(z) value was higher for T2W + DWI than for T2W alone, but the difference was not significant. • The A(z) value for T2W + DWI was significantly higher than that for T2W + DCE or for the three sequences combined. • Gleason score was significantly associated with cancer detection in the PZ., Conclusions: • Adding DWI and DCE to T2W imaging increased MRI performance in cancer detection in the PZ significantly. • However, this multiparametric model failed to improve performance in the TZ. • Gleason score significantly influenced cancer detection in the PZ but not in the TZ., (© 2010 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2010 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)

Purpose: To determine whether quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI improves the performance of T2W-MRI for the localisation of non-palpable prostate cancer (PCa) and for the estimation of tumor volume., Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients (PSA: 8.91+/-6.2ng/m) with a non-palpable cancer underwent endorectal MRI with T2W and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging before radical prostatectomy. Each level of evaluation (apex, mid-portion, base) was divided in eight areas (24 areas per prostate and 552 areas for the 23 patients). Localisation and volume of tumor foci greater than 0,2cc present on the radical prostatectmoy specimens were retrospectively correlated to their MR appearance on the 552 evaluated areas. The dynamic parameters included capillary permeability (K(trans)), maximum concentration of gadolinium after 60s of perfusion ([Gd]) and wash-out (K(ep)). Uni- and multivariate analysis were performed to determine which parameters were predictive of PCa., Results: Mean values of K(trans), K(ep) and [Gd] were significantly higher in the 58 tumor foci greater than 0,2 cm(3) of the PZ and the TZ (all p<0.05). Logistic regression for each zone provides provided a value of the area under the ROC curve of 0.83 for the PZ and 0.81 for the TZ (0.7 and 0.75, respectively, for the T2W imaging), only significant for the PZ (p<0.002). Sensitivity and specificity were 79 and 77% for the PZ, 62.5 and 94% for the TZ. Above 0,2 cm(3), tumor volume on dynamic MR showed a mean difference of 51+/-100% (range: -145 to +248%)., Conclusions: Quantitative dynamic MRI is more accurate than T2W imaging for tumor localisation of non-palpable cancer greater than 0,2 cm(3), but the difference is only significant for the PZ. Above this volume, correlation between tumor volume measured on dynamic MRI and that on the specimen is poor.

With an experience of more than 20 years for the pionneers (and more than 10 years in France), permanent implant brachytherapy using Iodin 125 seeds is now recognized as a valuable alternative therapy for localized low-risk prostate cancer patients. An extension of the indications of exclusive brachytherapy towards selected patients in the intermediate-risk group is presently under study. Moreover, for patients in the high-risk group, brachytherapy, as an addition to external radiotherapy, could represent one of the best way to escalate the dose for some patients. Various permanent implant brachytherapy techniques have been proposed; preplanning or real-time techniques, loose seeds or stranded seeds, manual or automatic injection of the seeds. The main point here is the ability to perfectly master the procedure and to comply with the dosimetric constraints which have been recently redefined by the Groupe européen de curiethérapie--European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) group. Mid- and long-term results which are now available in the literature indicate relapse-free survival of about 90% at 5-10 years, the best results being obtained with satisfactory dosimetric data. Some comparative data have shown that the incontinence and impotence rates after brachytherapy seemed to be significantly inferior to what is currently observed after surgery. However, a risk of about 3-5% of urinary retention is usually reported after brachytherapy, as well as an irritative urinary syndrome which may be significant and last several months. In spite of those drawbacks, with excellent long-term results and low rates of incontinence and impotence, brachytherapy can be expected to be proposed to an increasing number of patients in France in the next future.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze overall and relapse-free survival in a cohort of 809 patients, 34% of whom corresponded to a higher-risk group than American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) criteria., Methods and Materials: Between January 1999 and September 2004, 809 patients were treated with permanent loose 125 iodine seed implantation (IsoSeed Bebig, Eckert and Ziegler) by the Paris Institut Curie, Cochin Hospital, and Necker Hospital group. Of these 809 patients, 533 (65.9%) corresponded exactly to ABS criteria. Two hundred and seventy-six patients (34.1%) had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level between 10 and 15, or a Gleason score of 7, or both (non-ABS group)., Results: Overall 5-year survival was 98%, with no difference between the ABS group and the non-ABS patient subgroups (p = 0.62).Five-year relapse-free survival was 97% in the ABS group; it was significantly lower (p = 0.001) in the non-ABS group but remained satisfactory at 94%. On subgroup analysis, the results appeared to be better for the subgroup of patients with PSA 10-15 than for the subgroup with a Gleason score of 7., Conclusions: Our results suggest that selected patients in the intermediate-risk group of localized prostate cancers can be safely proposed as recipients of permanent implant brachytherapy as monotherapy.

Purpose: To describe therapeutic modalities for localized prostate cancer treated by conformal radiation to 76Gy with or without androgen ablation. To evaluate the preliminary results in terms of survival, biological control and toxicity., Patients and Method: Between January 1998 and June 2001, 321 patients with localized prostate cancer were irradiated at institut Curie. Tumors were stratified into the three Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center prognostic groups (1998) for analysis: favorable risk group (FG) 23%, intermediate risk group (IG) 36.5%, unfavorable risk group (UG) 40.5%. Androgen deprivation, mainly neoadjuvant, less or equal to one year was prescribed to 93.8% of patients (72.6% less or equal to six months). Planning target volume prescription doses were: prostate: 76Gy, seminal vesicles: 56 to 76Gy, and pelvic lymph nodes: 44Gy to 16.8% of patients., Results: The five-year actuarial overall survival was 94% (95% IC: 90-97%). The median post-therapeutic follow-up was 36 months (nine to 60 months). The 48-month actuarial rates of biochemical control for the three prognostic groups were statistically different according to both the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus (ASTRO 1997) and the Fox Chase Cancer Center definitions of biochemical failure (FCCC 2000) with respectively 87 and 94% for FG, 78 and 84% for IG, 54 and 58% for UG (P<10(-6) and P<10(-8)). At time of our analysis, late post-treatment rectal and bladder bleedings were 17,4 and 13,6%, respectively. According to a 1-4 scale adapted from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center criteria: rectal bleedings were grade 1 (9.6%), grade 2 (6.2%) and grade 3 (1.6%). Bladder bleedings were grade 2 (13%) and grade 3 (0.6%). Analysis of rectal bleeding risk factors showed significant correlations with pelvic lymph nodes irradiation for grade 2 and 3, (P=0.02), and for all grades, a correlation with smaller rectal wall volumes (P=0.03), and greater percentages of rectal wall irradiated to higher doses: 65, 70, 72 and 75Gy (P=0.02, P=0.01, P=0.0007 and P=0.003, respectively)., Conclusions: These results are comparable to those previously reported with the same follow-up. Impact of dose escalation with short androgen deprivation on local control, survival and complications needs longer follow-up and further analysis.

Objective: In the literature, most data regarding the outcome of patients with clinical stage T1a prostate cancer were established before the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) era. The aim of our study was to determine the predictive factors of progression in patients with T1a prostate cancer diagnosed in the PSA era., Methods: Consecutive patients (n=144) with newly diagnosed T1a prostate cancer (tumor involving < or =5% of the resected prostatic tissue) were included. None of them was treated before evidence of tumor progression confirmed by prostate needle biopsies. The associations between tumor characteristics and time to cancer progression were assessed using Cox regression analysis., Results: With a mean follow-up of 5.1 yr, 30 patients (21%) experienced cancer progression. Five adverse parameters were significantly associated with cancer progression: preoperative PSA> or =10 ng/ml, postoperative PSA> or =2 ng/ml, prostate weight > or =60 g, weight of resected tissue > or =40 g, and Gleason score> or =6. The 5-yr progression rate was 12% if fewer than two of these parameters were present, whereas it was 47% if two or more parameters were present (p<0.001)., Conclusion: In the PSA era the risk of progression associated with T1a prostate cancer can be predicted using five criteria, and two groups of patients can be defined. The patients at low risk of progression may be good candidates for surveillance. In those with a high risk of progression, a more aggressive treatment should be discussed.

A French decree of February 3rd 2005, allowed the Iodin 125 seeds from several companies to be reimbursed after a permanent implantation brachytherapy for a prostate cancer. Within this frame, the French "Comité économique des produits de santé" (CEPS; Economic committee for health products) made mandatory the annual writing and publication of a follow-up study with three main aims; make sure that the seeds were used for prostate cancer patients with criterias corresponding to the national recommendations, analyze the quality of the dosimetric data, and report all side effects, complications and possible accidents. We therefore report here a clinical and dosimetric analysis of 469 patient cases treated in France in nine centers in 2005 with the Iodin 125 IsoSeed Bebig. This analysis shows that: 1) The national recommendations for selecting patients for exclusive prostate brachytherapy have been taken into account in 97% of the cases; 2) The dosimetric quality criterias totally fulfilled the recommendations in a large majority of cases; the intra-operative D90 was found to be superior to 145 Gy in 98% of the patients, and the intra-operative V100 was superior to 95% in 96% of the cases; 3) The early toxicity (mainly urinary) was found to be at the lower range of what is reported in the literature, with in particular a retention rate of 2.4%.

Purpose: To assess the frequency of the PSA "bouncing" phenomenon after a significant follow-up in a series of patients treated by permanent implant brachytherapy for a prostate cancer. To look for the clinical and dosimetric parameters possibly linked to this transitory secondary PSA increase. To evaluate in which percentage of cases this bouncing could have mimicked a biochemical relapse according to the ASTRO consensus criteria., Patients and Methods: From January 1999, to December 2001, 295 patients were treated by a permanent prostate implantation (real-time technique, with free (125)I seeds- Isoseed Bebig-) by the Institut Curie-Hôpital Cochin-Hôpital Necker Paris group. The mean follow-up is 40.3 months (9-66 months). The PSA level was regularly checked, at least every 6 months. We defined as a "bouncing" all increase in PSA, starting at 0.1 ng/ml, subsequently followed by a spontaneous (without any treatment) decrease, with return to the previous level or lower. We particularly focused on the patients fulfilling the criteria for a biochemical relapse according to the ASTRO consensus (Three successive increases in PSA). A multivariate analysis tried to identify independent factors among the usual clinical and dosimetric parameters., Results: In our series, 161 patients (55%) showed a transitory PSA increase (bouncing) of at least 0.1 ng/ml; 145 patients (49%) a bouncing of 0.2 ng/ml, 93 patients (32%) a bouncing of 0.4 ng/ml and 43 patients (15%) a bouncing of at least 1 ng/ml. Mean PSA bounce was 0.8 ng/ml (0.1-4.1), and mean time to bounce was 19 months. Thirty-two patients (11% of the total number) presented three successive PSA increases with a significant (3 months) interval between the dosages, and therefore were to be considered as being in biochemical relapse according to the ASTRO consensus criteria. Actually, among those 32 patients, 18 (56%) subsequently showed a complete normalization of their PSA, without any treatment. Ten patients went on increasing their PSA, and were considered to be really in biochemical relapse. For the last 4 patients, the situation still remains ambiguous. In multivariate analysis, age<70 years (P<0.00001) and D90>200 Gy (P<0.003) were identified as independent factors for a PSA bouncing of at least 0.4 ng/ml., Conclusions: The observed rate of 32% of patients showing a PSA bouncing of at least 0.4 ng/ml in our series is in good agreement with what has been previously reported in the literature. Age<70 years and D90>200 Gy were found to be independent factors predicting for such a secondary transitory increase in PSA. Interestingly, among 32 patients fulfilling the classical criteria of the ASTRO for a biochemical relapse, 18 (56%) subsequently showed a spontaneous PSA decrease, demonstrating that the ASTRO consensus is not well adapted to the biochemical follow-up of our patients undergoing permanent implant prostate Brachytherapy.

Purpose: To prospectively compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL), patient-reported treatment-related symptoms, and costs of iodine-125 permanent implant interstitial brachytherapy (IB) with those of radical prostatectomy (RP) during the first 2 years after these treatments for localized prostate cancer., Methods and Materials: A total of 435 men with localized low-risk prostate cancer, from 11 French hospitals, treated with IB (308) or RP (127), were offered to complete the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core Quality of Life Questionnaire QLQ-C30 version 3 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the prostate cancer specific EORTC QLQ-PR25 module before and at the end of treatment, 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after treatment. Repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were conducted on HRQOL changes. Comparative cost analysis covered initial treatment, hospital follow-up, outpatient and production loss costs., Results: Just after treatment, the decrease of global HRQOL was less pronounced in the IB than in the RP group, with a 13.5 points difference (p < 0.0001). A difference slightly in favor of RP was observed 6 months after treatment (-7.5 points, p = 0.0164) and was maintained at 24 months (-8.2 points, p = 0.0379). Impotence and urinary incontinence were more pronounced after RP, whereas urinary frequency, urgency, and urination pain were more frequent after IB. Mean societal costs did not differ between IB (8,019 euros at T24) and RP (8,715 euros at T24, p = 0.0843) regardless of the period., Conclusions: This study suggests a similar cost profile in France for IB and RP but with different HRQOL and side effect profiles. Those findings may be used to tailor localized prostate cancer treatments to suit individual patients' needs.

Objectives: To report our experience with biopsy-proven pT0 prostate cancer over the last 10 yr., Methods: We retrospectively analysed a series of 1950 consecutive patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically localized prostate cancer between 1996 and 2005 at our institution. The patients without residual tumour on RP specimen were defined as pT0 patients. The group of pT0 patients was compared with a control group of 295 patients operated consecutively during the same period., Results: Overall, 11 (0.5%) patients were classified as pT0 on pathologic examination of the RP specimen. There was no pT0 tumour in the control group. Among the pT0 patients, five characteristics were particularly frequent: T1c clinical stage (90.9%), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or=60 g (100%). All these characteristics were present in 8 of the 11 (72.7%) pT0 patients, while they were present in only 12 of the 295 (4.1%) controls. These parameters, when combined together, had a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 96%, and an accuracy of 99% for the prediction of pT0 stage. With a mean follow-up of 30 months after RP, no pT0 patient had clinical or biologic evidence of prostate cancer., Conclusions: In our experience, the rate of pT0 tumours after RP is 0.5%. The combination of clinical stage, preoperative PSA, number of positive biopsy cores, Gleason score, and prostate weight could help to predict pT0 stage after RP.

Whereas it has been proposed almost one century ago, brachytherapy for prostate cancer has only recently emerged, especially thanks to endorectal echography, allowing to visualize seed implantation, to the development of seeds for permanent delivery and of micro-sources for high-dose rate delivery, and also to the development of three-dimension dosimetry programs allowing real-time implantations. For selected patients with localized prostate cancer (PSA < 10, Gleason < 7, no extracapsular extension, volume < 50-60 g), prostate brachytherapy with permanent implants (iodine 125 or, less frequently, palladium 103) gives results which appear at 10-15 years comparable to those of surgery. Incontinence and impotence rates appear lower than those of classical surgery. However, the first post-implant months are usually accompanied by urinary toxicity that should not be minimized. High-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR) could find its indications, in combination with conformal radiotherapy, in the treatment of more advanced forms, presenting an intermediate risk. It could also be an alternative to brachytherapy with permanent implants for the low-risk forms mentioned above, especially in developing countries where the cost of radioactive seeds slows down the use of this technique. Brachytherapy for prostate cancer should, therefore, find more and more indications, because of the increased incidence of prostate cancer, due to population ageing, of the increased proportion of localized forms, due to better detection, of the patient's request for less toxicity, and of the expecting lowering of the costs, which are now equivalent to those of surgery and should further lower.

We report the case of a 42-year-old man with a synovial sarcoma of the prostate, metastatic at presentation, who after aggressive chemotherapy followed by extensive surgery developed a complex pelvic fistula involving the lower ureter, bladder, and enteral structures. The patient was a poor candidate for surgery because of his short life expectancy and poor health status. Conservative management with bilateral nephrostomy tubes did not allow sufficient fistulous output for symptomatic relief. Using the percutaneous access already in place, we performed bilateral ureteral embolization with coils. Complete ureteral occlusion was obtained with a minimally invasive procedure and allowed total symptomatic relief.

Purpose: To assess the frequency and features of the PSA bounce phenomenon in a series of patients treated with permanent implant brachytherapy for prostate cancer, and to evaluate the percentage of cases in which this bounce could have mimicked a biochemical relapse according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus criteria., Methods and Materials: From January 1999 to December 2001, 295 patients were treated with a permanent prostate implantation (real-time technique, with free (125)I seeds) by the Paris Institut Curie/Hospital Cochin/Hospital Necker Paris group. Duration of followup is 40.3 months (9-66 months). PSA level was reported at intervals not exceeding 6 months. Bounce was defined by temporary elevation in PSA level, followed by a spontaneous decrease., Results: In our series, 161 patients (55%) showed a transitory PSA increase (bounce) of at least 0.1 ng/mL; 145 patients (49%) a bounce of 0.2 ng/mL; 93 patients (32%) a bounce of 0.4 ng/mL; and 43 patients (15%) a bounce of at least 1 ng/mL. Mean PSA bounce was 0.8 ng/mL (0.1-4.1), and mean time to bounce was 19 months. Thirty-two patients (11% of total) presented three successive PSA increases, and therefore were to be considered as experiencing a biochemical relapse according to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) consensus criteria. Among those 32 patients, 18 (56%) subsequently showed, without any treatment, a complete normalization of their PSA. In multivariate analysis, age <70 (p<0.0001) and D90>200Gy (p<0.003) were identified as independent factors for a PSA bounce of at least 0.4 ng/mL., Conclusions: The observed rate of 32% of patients showing a PSA bounce of at least 0.4 ng/mL in our series is in good agreement with what has been previously reported in the literature. Among 32 patients fulfilling the classical ASTRO criteria for a biochemical relapse, 18 (56%) subsequently showed a spontaneous PSA decrease, questioning the ASTRO consensus for the biochemical followup of patients undergoing permanent implant prostate brachytherapy.

Objective: Repeated biopsies in patients with a high risk of prostate cancer only allow a small proportion of new cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of combined MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI) for these patients., Methods: Between April 2003 and April 2004, 42 patients with negative multiple cores prostatic biopsies and serum PSA>4 ng/ml underwent a combined MRI/MRSI analysis. Suspicious zones on standard MRI included low intensity signals on T2 weighted images. A high choline+creatine-to-citrate ratio defined a MRSI suspicious zone. A 10 cores following peripheral biopsy scheme was done to which were added supplementary biopsies on the MRI/MRSI suspicious zones., Results: The mean age was 62.3 years (51-74), the mean pre-biopsy serum PSA was 12 (3.87-35), the mean free/total PSA ratio was 11% (5-20). The mean number of previous prostate biopsy rounds was 2.04. 15 prostate cancers were diagnosed (35.7%). In 9 cases, abnormal MRI/MRSI findings and positive biopsy sites were located on the same prostatic zones. In 5 cases, MRSI alone located the positive biopsy zones. Sensitivity of combined MRI/MRSI in this study was 73.3%; specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 96.3%, 91.6%, 86.6% and 88% respectively., Conclusions: This preliminary study shows that the combination of MRI and MRSI might be able to guide and therefore limit the number of iterative biopsies and cores for patients who are at high risk of having a prostate cancer. In some cases, MRSI alone allows identification of neoplasic prostatic zones. Other studies are needed to confirm these data.

Purpose: To study the number of migrating seeds, the anatomical site of migration and possible predictive parameters of migration, after prostate cancer brachytherapy using a loose-seed (I125) implantation technique., Patients and Methods: The charts of the 170 patients consecutively treated by the Institut Curie/Hospital Cochin/Hospital Necker Group between September 1, 2001 and August 31, 2002, were analysed. All seeds having migrated to the lungs and seen on the chest X-ray systematically performed at 2 months, have been recorded, as well as the seeds lost by the urines (after sieving) or in the sperm (condom)., Results: Among 12,179 implanted seeds, 44 were found to have migrated (0.36%). Most of the migrating seeds (32/44; 73%), were found in the lungs. Overall, one or several seed migrations were observed in 35 patients (21% of the total number of patients in this series). In the majority of cases (77%), only one seed migrated. A significant relationship (P = 0.04) was found between the number of migrating seeds and the number of implanted ones (or with the prostate volume, but those two parameters were closely linked in our series). More specifically, a significant relationship (P = 0.02) could be demonstrated between the number of seeds implanted at the periphery of the prostate and the number of seeds migrating to the lungs., Conclusion: The percentage of migrating seeds observed in this series is low, actually one of the lowest found in the literature when using the loose-seed technique. There was no clinical consequences and the loss of-usually-only one seed is very unlikely to alter the quality of the dose distribution. However, the predominance of pulmonary migrations in our series led us to slightly modify our implantation technique. We now try to avoid too "peripheral" seed implantations, due to the risk of migration towards the periprostatic veins, and subsequently to the lungs.

Purpose: Real-time ultrasound (US)-based dosimetry performed during (125)I loose seed implantation provides the radiation oncologist with an estimation of the dose distribution at seed insertion. However, for a number of reasons, this distribution may not reflect the real (reference) dosimetry as determined by subsequent CT, usually performed 1-2 months after implantation. The present study compared the two dosimetry data sets (US and CT) to evaluate how predictive extemporaneous US-based dosimetry can be of the real dose distribution., Methods and Materials: A total of 450 patients with prostate cancer were treated with loose (125)I seed implantation between June 1999 and October 2002 by the Institut Curie/Hospital Cochin (Paris) Group. The mean patient age was 65 years. Most patients (74%) had Stage T1c; the stage did not exceed T2b for the others. All patients had a prostate-specific antigen level of <15 ng/mL and was <10 ng/mL for 72%; 84% had a Gleason score of < or =6 and did not exceed 7 for the others; and 56% were treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy for a mean of 4.3 months. All patients were treated with loose seed implantation. Real-time US-based dosimetry was performed intraoperatively for all patients. CT-based dosimetry was performed 2 months after implantation, using the VariSeed software. The minimal dose to 90% of the outlined volume (D(90)) and percentage of volume receiving at least 100% of the prescribed dose (V(100)) were calculated with the two methods and compared for all patients., Results: On CT-based dosimetry, the D(90) was found to be > or =145 Gy (range, 115-240 Gy) in all patients except one. A large majority (86%) of patients showed a CT-based V(100) of >95%, and 48% had a V(100) of >98%. The mean CT-based D(90)/US-based D(90) ratio was 1.0 (range, 0.66-1.33). For 89% of the patients, the difference between the two values was <20% and for 62% was <10%. The mean CT-based V(100)/US-based V(100) ratio was 0.98 (range, 0-1.02), with 89% of patients showing a difference of <5%., Conclusion: Our results indicate that the D(90) and V(100) values obtained intraoperatively with our real-time US-based dosimetry are in reasonable agreement with the subsequent values obtained with CT-based dosimetry performed 2 months after implantation. Recent innovations in our dose planning software allowed better control of the longitudinal seed position and could still improve the correlation between real-time US-based dosimetry and the subsequent CT-based dose distribution.

Purpose: To study different methods of CT and MR images fusion in patient treated by brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer. To compare the results of the dosimetric study realized on CT slices and images fusion., Materials and Methods: Fourteen cases of patients treated by I125 were retrospectively studied. The CT examinations were realized with contiguous section of 5mm thickness, and MR images were obtained with a surface coil with contiguous section of 3 mm thickness. For the images fusion process, only the T2 weighted MR sequence was used. Two processes of images fusion were realized for each patient, using as reference marks the bones of the pelvis and the implanted seeds. A quantitative and qualitative appreciation was made by the operators, for each patient and both methods of images fusion. The dosimetric study obtained by a dedicated software was realized on CT images and all types of images fusion. The usual dosimetric indexes (D90, V100 and V150) were compared for each type of image., Results: The quantitative results given by the software of images fusion showed a superior accuracy to the one obtained by the pelvic bony reference marks. Conversely, qualitative and quantitative results obtained by the operators showed a better accuracy of the images fusion based on iodine seeds. For two patients out of three presenting a D90 inferior to 145 Gy on CT examination, the D90 was superior to this norm when the dosimetry was based on images fusion, whatever the method used., Conclusion: The images fusion method based on implanted seed matching seems to be more precise than the one using bony reference marks. The dosimetric study realized on images fusion could allow to rectify possible errors, mainly due to difficulties in surrounding prostate contour delimitation on CT images.

Purpose: To identify the factor(s) most predictive of pT3 tumor and those most predictive of a positive endorectal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging result in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer., Materials and Methods: At multivariate analysis, five preoperative clinical parameters-prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, digital rectal examination (DRE) result, Gleason score and number of involved sextants at transrectal US-guided biopsy, and endorectal MR imaging result-were used to predict pT3 tumor in 336 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. On the basis of results of the first four examinations, multivariate analysis was performed also to determine predictors of a positive MR imaging study., Results: Significant predictors of pT3 tumor were positive MR imaging result (P < 2 x 10(-8)), more than one sextant involved at biopsy (P < 5 x 10(-5)), and PSA level greater than 10 ng/mL (P < 7 x 10(-3)). Significant predictors of a positive MR imaging result were three or more sextants involved at biopsy (P < 10(-5)), positive DRE result (P < 5 x 10(-3)), and PSA level greater than 10 ng/mL (P < 16 x 10(-3)). In the subgroup of 175 patients who had at least three positive biopsy specimens, the sensitivity of MR imaging was 50% for detection of occult pT3 tumor and 69% for detection of extensive pT3 tumor. The overall specificity of MR imaging was 95%., Conclusion: Endorectal MR imaging seems to be indicated in carefully selected patients-specifically, those with three or more positive biopsy specimens, a palpable tumor, and/or a PSA level greater than 10 ng/mL.

In the last decade, brachytherapy emerged as a particularly appealing new way ot treating localized prostate cancer. Recently published 10-12 years biochemical control results appear to be superimposable to the best percentages achieved by surgery or conformal radiotherapy, with a small percentage of complications. This applied to severely patients. Only patients with T1/T2, PSA < 10 ng/mL, and Gleason score < 7 should be proposed such a treatment. The potential benefit of exploring patients with a endorectal coil MRI is being evaluated. The number of positive biopsies is also a parameter which should probably be considered in the therapeutic choice. Moreover, a prostate volume > 60 g, hip mobility limitations, a urinary obstructive syndrome and previous transurethral resection lead to difficulties in technical implantation and therefore must be taken into account when discussing brachytherapy. In conclusion, for adequately selected patients, brachytherapy offers a particularly applied alternative to surgery and external radiotherapy, with satisfactory long term biochemical control rates and limited complications.

Purpose: Skeletal metastases are the hallmark of advanced prostate cancer and recurrence after local surgery is common. Currently to our knowledge no biological markers predict the risk of disease progression in individuals with localized prostate cancer. In a search for predictive markers we evaluated the expression of bone sialoprotein and bone morphogenetic protein 6, 2 bone related proteins, and the angiogenic factor thymidine phosphorylase., Materials and Methods: The study population included 43 men who presented with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy. Bone sialoprotein, bone morphogenetic protein 6 and thymidine phosphorylase expression was assessed by immunohistochemical testing. Results were analyzed in relation to pathological disease stage, Gleason score and clinical outcome. Clinical followup was 4.3 to 11.4 years after surgery (median 7.9)., Results: Disease did not progress in 17 of the 43 cases, while recurrence and/or metastasis developed in the other 26 at a median of 6.5 and 6.9 years, respectively. Bone sialoprotein and bone morphogenetic protein 6 expression detected in 28 (65%) and 29 (67%) of the 43 samples, respectively, was significantly associated (p = 0.0001). Thymidine phosphorylase detected in 26 samples (60%) was not related to bone sialoprotein and/or bone morphogenetic protein 6 positivity. Bone sialoprotein and/or bone morphogenetic protein 6 expression correlated with bone metastasis, while thymidine phosphorylase expression was related to local recurrence (p = 0.002 and/or 0.007, and 0.00007, respectively). On multivariate analysis only the correlation of thymidine phosphorylase expression with recurrence remained statistically significant (p = 0.002). Co-expression of the 3 markers was observed in the samples of 10 of the 11 patients (90%) with bone metastases and only in 5 of the 17 (29%) who were disease-free., Conclusions: This study indicates that the expression of bone sialoprotein, bone morphogenetic protein 6 and thymidine phosphorylase determined at a clinically early stage of disease by a simple immunohistochemical technique would enable subgroups of patients to be identified that are at different risks of bone metastasis or recurrence. Detection of such markers would provide additional prognostic information that would be useful for patients with intermediate or low Gleason score or stage disease. These patients would benefit from a more adapted clinical follow-up.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe endorectal sonography and color Doppler sonography features of nonpalpable prostate cancer and to assess the value of endorectal MR imaging for the preoperative local staging of these tumors., Materials and Methods: Ninety-four patients with nonsuspicious findings on digital rectal examination and a mean prostate-specific antigen level of 16.3 +/-10 ng/mL (median, 13 ng/mL) underwent endorectal sonography, color Doppler sonography, sextant endorectal sonographically guided biopsy, and endorectal MR imaging before radical prostatectomy., Results: Tumors were visible in 48 cases and not visible in 46. The mean Gleason biopsy score, the frequency of tumors involving three sextants or more of the prostate gland at biopsies, and the frequency of stage pT3 tumors were significantly higher in patients with visible tumors (5.9+/-0.9, 42%, and 37.5%) than in those with invisible tumors (5.4+/-1.1, 17%, and 17%). The 42 hypervascular tumors were hypoechoic in every case and had a higher rate of Gleason tumor grades 4 and 5 at biopsy than did the 52 hypovascular tumors (33% versus 11.5%). Six hypovascular tumors (6/52, 11.5%, two visible) had an insignificant tumor volume. Established extraprostatic tumor spread was detected on MR imaging in six of 18 cases (sensitivity, 33%; specificity, 100%0, all of which had the following four features: hypervascularity, prostate-specific antigen level greater than 20 ng/mL, three or more sextants of the gland having positive findings at biopsy, and seminal vesicle invasion., Conclusion: Endorectal sonography and color Doppler sonography are useful to differentiate low-risk invisible and hypovascular tumors from high-risk visible and hypervascular tumors. However, MR imaging has a poor sensitivity for the detection of extraprostatic spread and is accurate only in a minority of highly selected high-risk hypervascular tumors.

Radical prostatectomy remains the 'golden standard' therapy for localized prostate carcinoma for patients with a survival rate of more than ten years. However, because of the complications inherent in this surgical procedure, prostatectomy is presently increasingly challenged by various radiotherapy procedures. In the last decade, more sophisticated conformal therapy techniques have been proposed for prostate cancer patients. In parallel, for highly selected patients, brachytherapy is being promoted by an increasing number of medical centers. In fact, brachytherapy techniques for prostate cancers can be traced back to 1911, but recently developed techniques offer reliability and reproducibility, with satisfactory results in terms of tumor control and reduced toxicity, in selected patients. We present here the different techniques that are available today in prostate cancer brachytherapy.

The treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer is based on total prostatectomy, radiotherapy or surveillance. The adverse effects of these treatments have led to an increasing interest in alternatives with decreased morbidity. Brachytherapy consists of placing radioactive sources in the prostatic tissue. High doses can therefore be delivered to the cancer while avoiding excessive irradiation of the bladder and rectum. Brachytherapy generally uses permanent implants (Iodine 125 or Palladium 103). The so-called Seattle technique requires planning before implantation, while, in the "ProCeed" technique, the position of the grains is determined at the time of treatment, with the help of a computer programme which determines the dosimetry. Brachytherapy is a reliable and reproducible technique with minimal morbidity, providing 10-year results comparable to those of total prostatectomy.

Objectives: To compare results of color Doppler-guided ultrasonography (CDUS) versus those of systematic biopsies in 591 patients with an elevated serum PSA level and to correlate them with digital rectal examination (DRE) findings., Methods: Biopsies were directed into hypervascularized (CDUS+) or hypovascularized (CDUS-) hypoechoic peripheral zone nodules (443 cases). When transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) was normal (148 cases), biopsies were directed into hypervascular area. Six additional posterior biopsies were also performed in every patient, together with four anterior biopsies in 117 patients with normal DRE and prostate weight above 40 g., Results: Biopsies were positive in 339 patients (57%). Positive biopsy rate (PBR) of directed biopsies was 84% in hypervascular abnormalities (264 of 316) and 17% in hypovascular nodules (23 of 134) (P < 0.001). PBR of combined biopsies was 84% in CDUS+ patients (266 of 316) and 26% in CDUS- patients (73 of 275) (P < 0.001). Comparison of TRUS and CDUS showed a sensitivity of 0.9 and 0.78, respectively, and a specificity of 0.46 and 0.8, respectively. Of the 131 patients with a PSA level between 4 and 10 ng/mL and a normal DRE, PBR was 59% (22 of 37) when CDUS was positive and 11% (10 of 94) when it was negative, regardless of TRUS abnormalities (P < 0.001). Nonpalpable cancers with a negative CDUS showed a significantly (P < 0.001) lower Gleason score (5.5 +/- 0.9) than that of CDUS+ cancer (6.5 +/- 1.1). Eleven cancers were diagnosed by only anterior positive biopsies. All of them had a negative CDUS and a PSA level above 10 ng/mL., Conclusions: CDUS does not modify prostate biopsy policy except in patients with negative CDUS, normal DRE, and PSA level between 4 and 10 ng/mL, where deferment of biopsy can be advocated. Anterior biopsies are only useful in patients with a PSA level above 10 ng/mL and a negative CDUS.

The incidence of prostate cancer has increased constantly over the last years. Treatment, whatever the stage of disease, remains controversial. Poor prognosis in patients with a localized tumor and lymph node metastases usually excludes curative therapy. Simple resection could be a reasonable option in cases with well or moderately well differentiated localized cancer, especially if life expectancy is less than 10 years. The real problem is to identity potentially aggressive cancers since an improvement in quality of life is an important element in caring for patients with cancer of the prostate. Survival rate at 15 years in patients with localized tumors after total prostatectomy appears to be comparable with that in the general population of the same age without cancer of the prostate. Conformational radiotherapy could allow more extensive irradiation of the prostate gland without touching the neighboring organs (rectum, bladder, head of the femoral bone). The dose should reach 80 Gy. Hormone treatment is currently used as first intention treatment in patients with metastase prostate cancer. Response rate is approximately 80%. Within 2 years, 8 out of 10 patients develop hormone resistance. Complete androgen suppression could improve survival times and quality of life in approximately 15% of the patients, although it is not possible at the present time to identify prior to treatment those patients who are susceptible responders. Chemotherapy has not been shown to be particularly effective in hormone-resistant cancer of the prostate. Prevention of cancer of the prostate is the next step to be accomplished.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with fast spin-echo sequences in the local staging of clinically localized prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: Seventy-one patients with a clinical T1 (18 patients) or T2 tumour (53 patients) underwent endorectal MRI 2-12 weeks before radical prostatectomy. Extraprostatic tumour was diagnosed if MRI showed signs of capsular penetration and/or invasion of the seminal vesicle and/or distal urethra or bladder neck. If the pathological examination showed a single positive margin with no periprostatic tissue, the tumour was classified as indeterminate and not as a T3 tumour., Results: Of the 25 cases of capsular penetration. MRI correctly identified 10 (sensitivity 42%, specificity 100%). Of the 14 cases with seminal vesicle invasion, MRI correctly identified six (sensitivity 43%, specificity 100%), but showed other signs of extraprostatic tumour spread in seven of the eight unidentified cases. Overall, MRI identified 16 of the 30 patients (53%) with occult extraprostatic spread of tumour; there was only one false-positive result. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI were 53, 96 and 74%, respectively., Conclusion: Endorectal MRI can reduce the rate of preoperative understaging from 42% to 22% and it can be used for a given individual because it can detect extraprostatic invasion with 96% specificity, ensuring that very few, if any, patients will be deprived of curative surgery.

Endorectal surface coil magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in the local staging of prostate cancer in 47 patients. We used an 1.5 Tesla General Electric magnet. Fast spin echo sequences were acquired in all cases. All pathological specimen were reviewed by one pathologist. Pathological study showed that 19 patients had a locally confined cancer of the prostate (pT2), and 28 had an extraglandular extension (pT3). MRI correctly predicted a pT3 tumor in 15 of 28 cases, and a pT2 tumor in 18 of 19 patients. MRI was 70% accurate in the differenciation of stage pT2 from stage pT3 cancer. One case was overestimated and 13 cases were underestimated. The latter 13 patients had microscopic extracapsular invasion only.

The authors report 1 case of particularly severe reflex neurovascular dystrophy whose clinical course was marked by the discovery of a carcinoma of the prostate. There was improvement in the reflex neurovascular dystrophy despite hormonal therapy of the cancer. Reflex neurovascular dystrophy cannot be considered as a form of a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most frequent cancer of male over 60 years of age. Radical prostatectomy is one of the preferred modes of treatment for localized stages. Surgical morbidity decreases with experience and consists mainly in bleeding and rectal injury. Delayed morbidity comprises loss of erection, anastomosis stricture, incontinence. A retrospective study of 100 patients is reported.

For about the last 10 years, transrectal hyperthermia has been used to treat obstructive manifestations of adenoma of prostate. This procedure induces interstitial edema and acts preferentially on the fibrous elements of the prostate. Several therapeutic regimens have been used successively by different teams, after objective and subjective inclusion screening programmes. Results published up to the present show about 45% of objective responders (against 3% in a placebo group) with improvement sustained in 3 out of 4 cases. Morbidity rate (infection and urinary retention) was 3%. Data from a retrospective study of a series of personally treated patients was w used to determine those with the greatest chance of a successful outcome, even though this is never comparable with that of surgical treatment.

The discovery of a pathological stage C after radical prostatectomy with a curative aim for a clinically localized cancer of the prostate raises the question of a possible adjuvant therapy. The indications and modalities of such a therapy still remain controversial. Our review sums up our knowledge and uncertainties on this point.

Seven patients with renal failure secondary to bilateral ureteric obstruction by pelvic carcinoma underwent palliative urinary diversion. In 3 cases, an autostatic ureteric stent was inserted after endoscopic resection of the trigone invaded by the tumour in the presumed zone of the ureteric meatus, and retrograde catheterisation of the ureter. This method has very limited indications, but may improve the comfort of survival of certain patients.

The worldwide incidence of prostatic cancer derived from data published by the Union Internationale contre le Cancer and the International Red Cross Committee has been estimated to be 200,000 new cases each year. Cases occur predominantly in the USA (75 per 100,000) and in northern Europe (40 per 100,000), whereas the incidence is low in Asia. Comparison of clinical series and autopsies confirms the high incidence of cancer in older age groups, although not all cases are seen clinically. Mortality increases more slowly than the incidence of the disease, indicating that diagnosis and treatment are increasingly effective. Aetiological factors remain the subject of much discussion, without any criteria appearing to be dominant.

Purpose: The optimal management of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive irradiation is still unclear but local salvage treatments are gaining interest. A retrospective, single-institution analysis of clinical outcomes and treatment-related toxicity after salvage I-125 low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy (BT) for locally-recurrent prostate cancer was conducted in a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Patients and methods: A total of 94 patients treated with salvage LDR-BT between 2006 and 2021 were included. The target volume was either the whole-gland +/- a boost on the GTV, the hemigland, or only the GTV. The prescribed dose ranged from 90 to 145 Gy. Toxicity was graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0. Results: Median follow-up was 34 months. Initial radiotherapy was external beam radiotherapy in 73 patients (78 %) with a median dose of 76 Gy and I-125 BT in 21 patients (22 %) with a prescribed dose of 145 Gy. Median PSA at salvage was 3.75 ng/ml with a median interval between first and salvage irradiation of 9.4 years. Salvage brachytherapy was associated with androgen deprivation therapy for 32 % of the patients. Only 4 % of the patients were castrate-resistant. Failure free survival was 82 % at 2 years and 66 % at 3 years. The only factors associated with failure-free survival on multivariate analysis were hormonosensitivity at relapse and European Association of Urology (EAU) prognostic group. Late grade 3 urinary and rectal toxicities occurred in 12 % and 1 % of the patients respectively.No significant difference in toxicity or efficacy was observed between the three implant volume groups. Conclusion: The efficacy and toxicity results are consistent with those in the LDR group of the MASTER meta-analysis. Salvage BT confirms to be an effective and safe option for locally recurrent prostate cancer. A focal approach could be interesting to reduce late severe toxicities, especially urinary.