16 min
Friendly Reminder: Replace the Random Biopsies! PROSTATE PROS
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- Medicine
For decades the random 12-core biopsy has been the standard of care for diagnosing prostate cancer. What most men don’t know is that random biopsy can be dangerous and its results misleading. Fortunately, there are now better ways to interpret a high PSA that are less invasive, safer, and more accurate. The tragedy is many men don’t know this. One million men continue to get random biopsies each year despite having better options.
This episode discusses the dangers of random biopsy and the best steps to take when facing an elevated PSA. If you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, share this episode with your friends and family! There are better, safer ways to interpret high PSA.
Dr. Scholz: [00:03] We’re guiding you to treatment success and avoiding prostate cancer pitfalls. I'm your host, Dr. Mark Scholz.
Liz: [00:09] And I'm your cohost, Liz Graves.
Dr. Scholz: [00:13] Welcome to the PROSTATE PROS podcast.
Liz: [00:16] A lot of our listeners are men who already have prostate cancer. This episode is for those people's friends who have a high PSA and are wondering what to do. Do they get a random biopsy? Is that dangerous? Are there any alternatives?
Dr. Scholz: [00:32] Yeah, Liz, I come across this all the time after I have a face-to-face meeting with one of our patients and we're helping them with their prostate cancer. They mention “Oh, by the way, my friend Sam called me up and his PSA is running high, and his urologist wants to do a 12-core biopsy. Can I run his case by you, Dr. Scholz?”
Liz: [00:52] This episode, Dr. Scholz and I are going to talk through some easy points that you can share with men going through this, and we'll also post a flow chart on our blog, prostateoncology.com/blog.
Dr. Scholz: [01:06] One thing that really motivates us is the concern that too many men are getting random 12-core biopsies. We've talked before about the wonderful advances in imaging for prostate imaging that have been developed over the last few years. If 12-core biopsies were harmless, they certainly provide accurate, useful information, but they can cause complications. Imaging is actually more accurate. Unfortunately, the industry is sort of stuck in the past and 12-core biopsies are still being done with great frequency. Hopefully we can give you some idea of when this may or may not be indicated.
Liz: [01:47] Yeah, this is one of those things in prostate cancer, where there are better options, but men are really just hearing about random biopsy. It's the option most people get. Almost everyone knows someone who has had a random biopsy. There are about a million of these done each year, so it's kind of public knowledge that when you get a PSA, you'll likely get a random biopsy.
Dr. Scholz: [02:10] It's been this way for historical reasons. The random biopsy was a big breakthrough in 1987. It was approved the same year PSA came on the market. So when the PSA was high, everyone would get a 12-core, round-the-clock, needle sticking in their prostate. Really there was no other alternative because imaging for so many years, really wasn't adequate to see prostate cancer inside the prostate.
Liz: [02:38] When you're comparing this to a different type of cancer, let's say liver cancer, they're not just taking random samples of the liver. Are they expecting that there'll be imaging? And why is the prostate something that's handled so differently?
Dr. Scholz: [02:54] I think it's because historically the cancers that come from the prostate, aren't very malignant, thank God, and they tend to have a similar background appearance to the prostate gland itself. So, very specialized techniques had to be developed for the cancers to light up to an adequate degr
For decades the random 12-core biopsy has been the standard of care for diagnosing prostate cancer. What most men don’t know is that random biopsy can be dangerous and its results misleading. Fortunately, there are now better ways to interpret a high PSA that are less invasive, safer, and more accurate. The tragedy is many men don’t know this. One million men continue to get random biopsies each year despite having better options.
This episode discusses the dangers of random biopsy and the best steps to take when facing an elevated PSA. If you’ve already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, share this episode with your friends and family! There are better, safer ways to interpret high PSA.
Dr. Scholz: [00:03] We’re guiding you to treatment success and avoiding prostate cancer pitfalls. I'm your host, Dr. Mark Scholz.
Liz: [00:09] And I'm your cohost, Liz Graves.
Dr. Scholz: [00:13] Welcome to the PROSTATE PROS podcast.
Liz: [00:16] A lot of our listeners are men who already have prostate cancer. This episode is for those people's friends who have a high PSA and are wondering what to do. Do they get a random biopsy? Is that dangerous? Are there any alternatives?
Dr. Scholz: [00:32] Yeah, Liz, I come across this all the time after I have a face-to-face meeting with one of our patients and we're helping them with their prostate cancer. They mention “Oh, by the way, my friend Sam called me up and his PSA is running high, and his urologist wants to do a 12-core biopsy. Can I run his case by you, Dr. Scholz?”
Liz: [00:52] This episode, Dr. Scholz and I are going to talk through some easy points that you can share with men going through this, and we'll also post a flow chart on our blog, prostateoncology.com/blog.
Dr. Scholz: [01:06] One thing that really motivates us is the concern that too many men are getting random 12-core biopsies. We've talked before about the wonderful advances in imaging for prostate imaging that have been developed over the last few years. If 12-core biopsies were harmless, they certainly provide accurate, useful information, but they can cause complications. Imaging is actually more accurate. Unfortunately, the industry is sort of stuck in the past and 12-core biopsies are still being done with great frequency. Hopefully we can give you some idea of when this may or may not be indicated.
Liz: [01:47] Yeah, this is one of those things in prostate cancer, where there are better options, but men are really just hearing about random biopsy. It's the option most people get. Almost everyone knows someone who has had a random biopsy. There are about a million of these done each year, so it's kind of public knowledge that when you get a PSA, you'll likely get a random biopsy.
Dr. Scholz: [02:10] It's been this way for historical reasons. The random biopsy was a big breakthrough in 1987. It was approved the same year PSA came on the market. So when the PSA was high, everyone would get a 12-core, round-the-clock, needle sticking in their prostate. Really there was no other alternative because imaging for so many years, really wasn't adequate to see prostate cancer inside the prostate.
Liz: [02:38] When you're comparing this to a different type of cancer, let's say liver cancer, they're not just taking random samples of the liver. Are they expecting that there'll be imaging? And why is the prostate something that's handled so differently?
Dr. Scholz: [02:54] I think it's because historically the cancers that come from the prostate, aren't very malignant, thank God, and they tend to have a similar background appearance to the prostate gland itself. So, very specialized techniques had to be developed for the cancers to light up to an adequate degr
16 min