Dr. Deepak Kapoor on the Utilization of Prostate Biopsies

Deepak A. Kapoor, MD, president of the Large Urology Group Practice Association, chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC, discusses the implications of a large study looking at the detection of prostate cancer using prostate biopsies.

The study examined the overall positive biopsy rates in 437,937 biopsies between 2005 and 2011. Samples were examined in both national reference and urology practice laboratories. Overall, the study found that positive rates were similar in both groups, at 40.3%. In addition to positive rates, the trial examined the number of vials collected per biopsy, which reached approximately 10 by 2011.

Kapoor notes that from a practicing urologists standpoint this data confirms that optimal detection of prostate cancer requires the collection of 10 to 12 cores. Additionally, from a health policy standpoint, these results indicate that positive biopsy rates are the same at both a national and individual practice level. Furthermore, for patients, these results can provide comfort that a biopsy is being performed for an appropriate clinical purpose and not financial gain.

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