Karger Publishers, Urologia Internationalis, 3-4(104), p. 181-186, 2020
DOI: 10.1159/000506262
Full text: Unavailable
<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> We investigated the diagnostic efficacy of the prostate health index (PHI) and PHI density (PHID) to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies in 3 urological practices. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In 122 patients, total prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free PSA (f-PSA), the quotient from total PSA and f-PSA (f-PSA%), and [–2]pro-PSA were measured in the serum; PHI, PHID, and PSA density (PSAD) were calculated prior to prostate biopsy. Tissue sampling via transrectal biopsy was indicated in case of suspicious PSA (progression and/or elevation of PSA) and/or suspicious digital rectal examination. PSAD, PHI, and PHID were not used for biopsy indication. The diagnostic efficacy was determined with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC)<i></i>and decision curve analyses. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Based on prostate biopsies, 38% (<i>n</i> = 46) of the cases had no prostate carcinoma (PCa), 21% (<i>n</i> = 26) no clinically significant (insignificant) PCa, and 41% (<i>n</i> = 50) had clinically significant PCa. ROC analyses of the PSA parameters showed higher diagnostic efficacy for PHI and PHID (AUC 0.722 and 0.739) than for f-PSA%, PSA, and PSAD (AUC 0.612, 0.595, and 0.698, respectively) regarding carcinoma diagnosis. With a combined use of PHI and PHID (cutoff >40 and >0.9, respectively), only 1 clinically significant PCa would have been missed (sensitivity 98%); in 24 (20%) patients, biopsy could have been avoided. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b>The integration of PHI and PHID could improve the diagnostic efficacy of risk calculators to avoid unnecessary prostate biopsies. However, as a prerequisite, validation of cutoff values in prospective studies is urgently required.