Are repeat prostate biopsies safe? A cohort analysis from the SEARCH database

Purpose: Patients question whether multiple biopsy sessions cause worse prostate cancer outcomes. Therefore, we investigated whether there is an association between the number of prior biopsy sessions and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Materials and methods: Men in the SEARCH (Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital) database who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1988 and 2010 after a known number of prior biopsies were included in the analysis. Number of biopsy sessions (range 1 to 8) was examined as a continuous and categorical (1, 2 and 3 to 8) variable. Biochemical recurrence was defined as a prostate specific antigen greater than 0.2 ng/ml, 2 values at 0.2 ng/ml or secondary treatment for an increased prostate specific antigen. The association between number of prior biopsy sessions and biochemical recurrence was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from biochemical recurrence were compared among the groups.

Results: Of the 2,739 men in the SEARCH database who met the inclusion criteria 2,251 (82%) had only 1 biopsy, 365(13%) had 2 biopsies and 123 (5%) had 3 or more biopsies. More biopsy sessions were associated with higher prostate specific antigen (p<0.001), greater prostate weight (p<0.001), lower biopsy Gleason sum (p=0.01) and more organ confined (pT2) disease (p=0.017). The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated no association between number of biopsy sessions as a continuous or categorical variable and biochemical recurrence. Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from biochemical recurrence were similar across biopsy groups (log rank p=0.211).

Conclusions: Multiple biopsy sessions are not associated with an increased risk of biochemical recurrence in men undergoing radical prostatectomy. Multiple biopsy sessions appear to select for a low risk cohort.