Prostate Biopsy – A Complete Guide: Let me explain biopsy in very simple terms. Biopsy means pinching out a very small part of tissue from an organ. This pinched out biopsy sample is then studies under an advanced microscope to look for cellular abnormalities. Upon observing the cellular patterns, the doctor then comes to a conclusion whether the organ is affected from the suspected disease or not.
Prostate biopsy is a very important tool to diagnose prostate cancer. Like we have discussed in previous posts, prostate is one of the most common cancers in Men all over the world. It is specially common in men over the age of 55 years. Therefore, Screening for prostate cancer is gaining increased popularity as health services are becoming more accessible and people are becoming more aware about their own health.
Who Needs a Prostate Biopsy?
After we screen the patient for prostate cancer with the help of PSA, if we suspect any cancer, then prostate biopsy is advised. Biopsy is an incredible tool to diagnose even very early stage cancers. Men who are over the age of 55 years and have a history of prostate cancer are the ideal candidates of Prostate Cancer Screening. Your urologist is the ideal person who can discuss if you actually need a biopsy or not.
Methods of performing a Prostate Biopsy
Prostate biopsy can be done in more than 1 way. Following are the most common ways that surgeons use to perform the biopsy.
- Transrectal Prostate Biopsy – This is the most common method of doing a prostate biopsy. In our hospital (Institute of Urology, Jaipur), this procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance so that it can be done with utmost precision, and there is no discomfort caused to the patient.
- Perineal Prostate Biopsy – In this method, biopsy needle is inserted through the skin between the scrotum and rectum.
- Transurethral Prostate Biopsy – In this method, we perform biopsy through the urine pipe or urethra with the help of a cystoscope which is a device with a small camera at the tip.
How is a Prostate Biopsy done? Step by Step Procedure of Transrectal Prostate Biopsy:
- Prostate biopsy is performed by expert Urologists. It is done in the operating room under local anaesthesia. Regional or general anaesthesia can be given if patient is more apprehensive. It is a small 10 to 15 minutes procedure and the patient can go home the same day after the procedure.
- Now a transrectal ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to obtain a clear view of the entire prostate gland.
- With the ultrasound probe in place and prostate in good view, a biopsy needle is inserted through the rectal wall to reach the prostate gland.
- The needle now takes samples from different areas of the prostate.
- These samples are then collected, labelled and sent to a good pathologist lab for further studying the tissue at cellular level.
- The pathologist studies the tissue and properly scans it for the presence of any abnormal or cancer cells.
Is Prostate Biopsy Painful?
The entire procedure is performed under anaesthesia. Which means it is not likely that you experience any pain from the procedure. However, at one point in the procedure when the biopsy needle actually goes inside the prostate gland, you may feel a little pinch. In rare cases, the patient may experience very slight discomfort while sitting down for a few days.
How is the Recovery After Prostate Biopsy?
It may take a few days for a person to completely recover from the biopsy procedure. There can be following mild symptoms
- Pain in the groin region in the prostate area.
- Frequent need to pass urine for a few days.
- Blood in urine a few times
- Blood in semen for a few times
- Small amount of bleeding from the rectum due to the biopsy needle.
- In infection is extremely rare, but it is worth mentioning in order to encourage patients to complete the course of antibiotics and medications which are given after the procedure.
One can also help in recovering faster with the help of following advises
- Maintain proper hydration
- Abstain from alcohol untill full recovery.
- Avoid sexual activity for around 3 days.
- Avoid streneous physical exercise for 3 to 5 days.
- Complete the antibiotics and other prescription medicines as advises by your urologist.
What is Gleason’s score in relation to Prostate Cancer and Biopsy?
When the pathologist studies the prostate biopsy sample for the cellular patterns, a pointing system known as “Gleason’s Score” is used. This score helps determine how aggressive the cancer is, in simple terms it tells us how likely is the cancer to spread. The lower the score is, the better treatable the problem is.
Prostate Biopsy at Institute of Urology, Jaipur
Besides proving advanced prostate screening services, we also specialise in prostate biopsy. With a well equipped ultra modern laboratory and biopsy tools, our aim is to provide the most comfortable experience to the patient in a very friendly environment. For any queries, you can always whatsapp or call on 9829013468 (Dr. M. Roychowdhury) or you can book an appointment beforehand for a more personalised experience. You can also comment below this post, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
