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News & Trends - MedTech & Diagnostics

Urologists champion novel prostate cancer biopsy procedure

Health Industry Hub | January 23, 2025 |

Australian urologists are championing the a newer method for prostate biopsy that enhances patient care without compromising prostate cancer detection accuracy. Local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsy (LATP), they argue, is also safer and more cost-effective.

Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Australian men, with one in six males diagnosed by the age of 85. In 2024, an estimated 26,400 cases are expected, accounting for 28% of all cancer diagnoses in men.

In Australia, over 70% of prostate biopsies are now conducted transperineally. However, while traditional transperineal prostate biopsies require general anaesthesia, LATP introduces a different option performed under local anaesthesia.

Western Australia-based urologist, Associate Professor Matt Brown, has been performing LATP since 2018. He highlighted its advantages, saying “Accuracy is comparable to [biopsies conducted under] general anaesthesia, and safety is excellent. A local anaesthetic procedure can be a good experience for patients, the staff, and the hospital. As the procedure does not involve theatre time, local anaesthetic procedures reduce pressure on hospital waiting lists and speed up access for patients.”

A/Prof Brown added, “Patients appreciate spending less time in the hospital going through lengthy admissions and post-operative processes, the speed at which they recover, and the convenience of being able to drive or return to work immediately afterwards. Patients on active surveillance tend to elect for local anaesthetic procedures on a repeated basis,”

Professor Henry Woo, a urological surgeon specialising in prostate surgery, introduced LATP at Sydney Adventist Hospital in 2022.

“Now that a technique for performing these procedures with a local anaesthetic has been developed, this is a logical step to improving the patient journey. General anaesthetic requires more preparation and requires patients to be accompanied by someone following the procedure as well as spending most of the day in the hospital setting and having to take more time off from work or other activities of daily living,” Professor Woo explained.

LATP has already gained traction in countries like New Zealand and the United Kingdom, but its adoption in Australia remains limited.

Addressing misconceptions, A/Professor Brown noted, “One of the biggest misconceptions is that it is too difficult to do and too uncomfortable for the patient. Another misconception is that the procedure is not as accurate as general anaesthetic biopsy.”

LATP also allows for unique patient interactions. A/Professor Brown shared; “A couple of patients […] were real characters. We are often chatting or having a laugh with our patients. A particularly memorable patient recently was singing an opera and entertaining us with his stories. Those fantastic patient interactions are lost with general anaesthetic procedures.”

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