Leonard S. Marks, MD, presented “Transrectal Fusion Biopsy” during the 26th Annual Southwest Prostate Cancer Symposium conference on April 13, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
How to cite: Marks, Leonard S. “Transrectal Fusion Biopsy.” April 13, 2023. Accessed Dec 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/transrectal-fusion-biopsy/
Transrectal Fusion Biopsy – Summary
Dr. Marks discusses transrectal fusion biopsy, which combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ultrasound to create a more precise and targeted approach. This fusion technique allows for better visualization of suspicious areas within the prostate.
Dr. Marks compares traditional biopsy methods and transrectal fusion biopsy. He highlights the limitations of standard ultrasound-guided biopsies, including the risk of missing significant cancers and the potential for over-diagnosis of indolent tumors. In contrast, transrectal fusion biopsy significantly improves diagnostic accuracy by providing real-time guidance and allowing for targeted sampling of lesions identified on MRI.
Dr. Marks addresses the practical aspects of implementing transrectal fusion biopsy in clinical practice. He discusses the training and expertise required for performing this advanced technique, as well as the technological and logistical considerations involved. He also touches on patient selection criteria.
About the 26th Annual Southwest Prostate Cancer Symposium:
This conference educated attendees about advances in the management of localized and advanced prostate cancer, with a focus on imaging, technology, and training in the related devices. It included a scientific session, as well as live demonstrations of surgical techniques. You can learn more about the conference here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leonard S. Marks, MD, is Professor and inaugural holder of the deKernion Chair in Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he received his MD with AOA honors and his MA in Physiology in 1969. He served an internship and surgical residency at UCLA/Harbor General Hospital. For the following two years, he served on active duty as Lieutenant Commander in the US Public Health Service. He was named a Post-Doctoral Research Scholar at UCLA School of Medicine in 1973-4. He completed his Urology Residency at UCLA and was a Lecturer in Urology there in 1978, following which he entered private practice in Los Angeles. He re-joined the UCLA faculty full-time in 2009.
While in practice, Dr. Marks founded a non-profit research organization, the Urological Sciences Research Foundation, a 501c3 corporation, to further his academic interests. He became an original AFUD scholar in 1992 for work relating serum PSA levels to prostate histology. He received a Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) research award in 2000 for cross-cultural studies of prostate cancer. As an early advocate of multimedia in medical education, he served as Website Editor of Urology for The Gold Journal from 1998-2010. For his work in the scientific evaluation of alternative medicines, he was appointed to committees of the American Urological Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Over the past decade, he has been Principle Investigator of three separate R01 Awards from the National Cancer Institute devoted to targeted prostate biopsy and focal therapy of prostate cancer. He has authored more than 150 scientific publications.
