Role of 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT for the detection of primary prostate cancer prior to biopsy: a prospective study

Introduction Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET-CT) is widely used as a staging tool for patients with prostate cancer (PCa). The objective of the study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT for PCa, which may help us avoid unnecessary biopsies in patients with intermediate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Material and methods In this prospective study, 81 patients suspected of PCa, with either raised PSA between 4–20 ng/ml or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings were included. 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT was performed for all patients followed by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. SUVmax (maximum standardized uptake value) was measured and correlated with biopsy results. Results Out of 81 patients, 31 (38.3%) patients were found to have malignancy on biopsy. Median SUVmax of biopsy positive patients was 10.4 (IQR 6.5–16.1) and biopsy negative patients (n=50) was 3.5 (IQR 1–4.9), (p