Local staging of prostate cancer with transrectal ultrasound: a literature review

A literature review was undertaken to investigate whether transrectal ultrasound can predict the local stage of prostate cancer. Twelve papers were found which correlated ultrasound findings with surgical findings and another paper reported on strategic staging biopsies guided by transrectal ultrasound. Eleven of these papers reported on ultrasound findings in patients in whom digital rectal examination had defined localized disease. One paper compared ultrasound findings and digital rectal findings. One paper indicated that transrectal ultrasound, though not suited to patients with clinically localized disease defined by digital rectal examination, may be superior as the initial staging tool. We conclude that transrectal ultrasound has too low a specificity to upgrade the diagnostic results of digital rectal examination, but that it may be more useful as the primary staging tool and for guidance in strategic staging biopsies.