History of prostate biopsy – part 1

Prostate biopsy (PBx) to exclude cancer has been part of clinical practice since the beginning of the 20th Century. PBx techniques have evolved over time to optimally address some of the unique issues of this procedure, including the awkward anatomical position of the prostate, the proximity of the biopsy tract to faeces and urine, the risk of sepsis, the potential side-effects affecting voiding and sexual function, heterogeneity of the underlying cancer, discrepancy in the appearance of significant lesions between the different imaging modalities, and finally difficulty in precisely targeting the significant cancer. In addition, prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics have always been heaped in controversy, in terms of whom to biopsy and when.