In Heidelberg, Germany, to learn transperineal prostate biopsies with MRI-US fusion imaging

Today we travelled to the Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, to learn to do transperineal prostate biopsies with MRI-US fusion imaging.

I was accompanied by Dr. Estefanía Romero, from ICUA (left) and our super-nurse Vanesa.

Soon we will start to perform transperineal prostate biopsies based in the fusion of images of Multiparametric MRI with transrectal Ultrasound at  Clínica CEMTRO in Madrid.

This technique is based in that Multiparametric MRI "sees" the cancers and transrectal ultrasound rarely allows to see them. The biopsies are usually performed with ultrasound guidance and thus we do not know if we take the biopsy where the tumor is or not. With the Biopsee system we can use the data obtained in the multi parametric prostate MRI to fuse them with the real time ultrasound image we are seeing and direct the needle exactly to where the tumor is.

In the studies published with this technique, the diagnostic performance rises from 30% to 60% (it detects more cancers) and it allows to do it in the first biopsy, it allows us to differentiate tumors that deserve to be treated from those who do not, so it is really a technical wonder.

Also, performing the biopsies through the transperineal route reduces the risk of infection caused bu the biopsy from 3% (3 out of 100 patients develop acute febrile prostatitis that can be serious) to 0,4% (four infections in one thousand patients).

A very important step in the diagnosis of prostate cancer that we will start offering to our patients at ICUA this month.