Preliminary Diagnostic Accuracy of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Detect Residual Prostate Cancer Following Focal Therapy with Irreversible Electroporation

It is recommended to perform multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in the follow-up following focal therapy of prostate cancer (PCa). To determine the diagnostic accuracy of mpMRI to detect residual PCa following focal therapy with irreversible electroporation. Seventy-six patients with biopsy-proven localized PCa consented for primary irreversible electroporation between February 2013 and March 2016. Final analysis was performed on 50 patients that received follow-up mpMRI at 6 mo, serial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, and transperineal template-mapping biopsies at 12 mo. Outfield regions of interest (ROI) were reported using PI-RADS version 2. A binary outcome (suspicious vs nonsuspicious) was given for the infield ablation zone. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were calculated for different definitions of significant PCa: (1) Gleason ≥4+3 or Gleason ≥3+3 with a maximum cancer core length ≥6mm, (2) Gleason ≥3+4 or Gleason ≥3+3 with a maximum cancer core length ≥4mm, for outfield and infield ROI. Multivariate linear regression analyses evaluated the additional value of nadir PSA. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of infield ROI was 43%, 86%, 33%, and 90% for definition 1 and 38%, 86%, 33%, and 88% for definition 2, respectively. For outfield ROI this was 33%, 82%, 20%, and 90% for definition 1 and 38%, 86%, 50%, and 80% for definition 2. PSA had no additional value in predicting residual significant PCa. Limitations include retrospective design, single reader, and low incidence of residual PCa. Our preliminary data suggest that mpMRI can rule out high-volume residual PCa. However, follow-up biopsies should still be performed to determine oncological control. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging is able to detect high-volume significant prostate cancer following focal therapy. Prostate biopsies are still required in the follow-up of focal therapy as (low-volume) significant prostate cancer is being missed by multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging