What is a prostate biopsy?
A prostate biopsy is a procedure to remove samples of suspicious tissue from the prostate. it involves the insertion of a thin needle into the prostate to take a certain number of prostate tissue samples from your prostate gland. It is usually prescribed and carried out by a urologist after screening reveals some suspicious but non-specific evidence of the disease, from Digital Rectal examination, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
The tissue sample removed is analyzed under the microscope by an anatomopathologist who confirms the presence or the absence of abnormal cells and, if necessary, gives a Gleason score, numbered from 1 to 5 for each abnormal area. When removed samples that are closely located share similar results, there might be evidence of a lesion. The biopsy shall confirm any be found, their location, size and aggressiveness shall be recorded in order to talk and determine the best treatment option.
Transrectal Prostate Biopsy
How a biopsy is performed?
The prostate biopsy exam consists of taking several samples of prostate tissue, which then examined under a microscope. Samples containing cancer cells are said to be positive while the others are said to be negative. With the KOELIS system, biopsy is performed under guidance of 3D transrectal ultrasound. The 3D image enables physicians to track and see the prostate in real time during the examination, to guide and to distribute the biopsy cores. They can in this way create a precise 3D mapping of the taken samples.
For 20 years, the biopsy needle has been inserted along with an ultrasound probe that displays a cross-sectional image of the organ. Ultrasound by itself cannot visualize and describe cancerous lesions. Also, it is very difficult to locate, describe and archive the exact location of 3-dimensional samples in a 2-dimensional ultrasound image of the organ.
Nowadays, most of prostate biopsies are performed via transrectal approach with a 2D ultrasound probe without any guidance or recording. For this reason, these biopsies are called to be “blind”, giving very low positive detection rate (20-30%).
Transperineal Prostate Biopsy
The KOELIS 3D Prostate Biopsy
A precise diagnostic for a personalized follow-up
KOELIS has developed an innovative solution that assists physicians in carrying out prostate biopsy in order to bring adapted answers to every patient.
3D Ultrasound
With the KOELIS system, biopsy is performed under guidance of 3D transrectal ultrasound. The 3D image enables physicians to track and to visualize the prostate in real time during the examination, to guide and to distribute the biopsy cores.Using this method, they can create a precise 3D mapping of the taken samples.
MRI Fusion
Before the biopsy, the urologist may ask the patient to have an MRI scan. MRI may highlight one or more suspicious lesions as well as locate them accurately in the prostate.
During the biopsy examination, the KOELIS system will perform the fusion of the MRI image with the ultrasound image.
The urologist can thus guide the samples to the targeted suspicious lesion and maximise the chances of detecting relevant tissue.
