Physicians at this week's UK Imaging & Oncology (UKIO) Congress in Liverpool have called for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to change its guidance on how prostate biopsies are conducted.
Doctors are asking NICE to approve the routine use of transperineal biopsies, which are more sensitive and offer access to the prostate through skin that is close to the gland, according to a press release issued by the organizers of UKIO. Traditional transrectal biopsies are less expensive but carry a small but significant risk of serious infection, which occurs in up to 5% of men.
Currently, NICE is evaluating the clinical evidence and cost-effectiveness of transperineal biopsies. Its deadline on the decision was 22 June, but it has been delayed.
