
"Health wise I am feeling great. I am a big supporter of trials - it allows new treatments and drugs to be brought in.”
This study is for men whose doctor refers them to hospital for suspected prostate cancer.
Your GP may refer you to hospital for more tests for prostate cancer if:
Your specialist at the hospital may then arrange for you to have an MRI scan to check for abnormal areas. Sometimes prostate cancer doesn’t show up on the scan and so you might need to give a sample of tissue (). This involves taking small samples of tissue from the prostate gland. A specialist in the laboratory uses a microscope to look for prostate cancer in these samples.
There are 2 main ways of having a biopsy done in the NHS. Most hospitals take a biopsy during a transrectal ultrasound scan (TRUS). This is called a transrectal biopsy. Some hospitals now use a newer technique called a transperineal biopsy. Doctors don’t know which is best, so they are running this study to find out more.
The main aims of the study are to find out:
Please note, taking part in this study might not help you directly. It might help men in the future who have a prostate biopsy to detect cancer.
The following bullet points are a summary of the entry conditions for this study. Talk to your doctor or the study team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.
Who can take part
You may be able to join this study if all of the following apply. You:
o your PSA level is higher than it should be for your age or
o you have abnormal areas such as lumps or hard areas
As well as the above the following must also apply. You:
Who can’t take part
You cannot join this study if any of these apply. You:
The study team need 1,042 men to take part. The team ask you to fill in a short questionnaire about your medical history before you are put into a group. This takes about 10 minutes.
This is a randomised study. A computer puts you into a biopsy group. Neither you nor your doctor can decide which group you are in.
There are 2 groups. You have a for both biopsies. You have your biopsy done in 1 of 2 ways:
Transperineal biopsies
The doctor or nurse takes your biopsies through the perineum (the skin between the scrotum and the back passage). They usually take about 12 to 16 biopsies.
The samples are then sent to the laboratory as usual. In the laboratory, a specialist doctor looks at the samples under the microscope.
Please note, being part of this study won’t affect your hospital care or the standard treatments you might need.
Questionnaires
You fill in a short questionnaire after the procedure to see how you are and if you had any side effects. You do this at:
Each questionnaire takes between 5 and 15 minutes to fill in. The team email the questionnaire to you. They can post it if you prefer.
There aren’t any extra tests if you take part in this study. You will still have any necessary blood tests, scans and treatment as part of your routine care.
The study team monitor you during the biopsy and afterwards. Contact your advice line or tell your doctor or nurse if any side effects are bad or not getting better.
Transrectal and transperineal biopsies are safe but there are some possible risks. Some of the possible risks include:
We have more information about:
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Richard Bryant
Mr Alastair Lamb
National Institute for Health Research
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University of Oxford
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"Health wise I am feeling great. I am a big supporter of trials - it allows new treatments and drugs to be brought in.”