SEXTANT LOCALIZATION OF PROSTATE CANCER: COMPARISON OF SEXTANT BIOPSY, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING WITH STEP SECTION HISTOLOGY

Purpose: We compared the accuracy of endorectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging with that of sextant biopsy for the sextant localization of prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: Sextant biopsy, MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and radical prostatectomy with step section histology were done in 47 patients with prostate cancer. For each sextant we categorized biopsy and imaging results as positive or negative for cancer. Step section histology was used as the standard of reference.Results: For sextant localization of prostate cancer MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging were more sensitive but less specific than biopsy (67% and 76% versus 50%, and 69% and 68% versus 82%, respectively). The sensitivity of sextant biopsy was significantly less in the prostate apex than in the mid prostate or prostate base (38% versus 52% and 62%, respectively). MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging had similar efficacy throughout the prostate co...