Risks & Alternatives | Random Needle Prostate Biopsies

The PSA test is useful for the early detection of dangerous prostate cancers; however, the test's lack of specificity means that men with elevated PSAs are frequently investigated for prostate cancer with imaging, blood tests, and potentially biopsies despite most of these cases being benign. Here, medical oncologist, Mark Scholz, MD, answers patients' questions about biopsies for prostate cancer-- the different methodologies, the risks, whether imaging can help determine whether you need a biopsy, and more.

0:09 Can biopsies cause nerve damage?

1:01 "The number of positive cores" is used to stage prostate cancer, but is it still relevant with targeted biopsies since more cores are likely to be positive compared with random biopsies--assuming that a cancer is actually present?

2:30 Can biopsies cause scarring or erectile dysfunction?

3:13 Does a rising or high PSA mean that a person is going to have to continue getting biopsies, even if no cancer has been found through previous biopsies?

4:38 What are the differences between transrectal and transperineal biopsies?

5:41 How long does a transperineal biopsy take compared to a transrectal biopsy?

6:24 Can a biopsy increase the risk of cancer spreading?

7:10 Should patients seek out a PSMA PET scan before getting a biopsy?

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