Cytologic diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Community hospital experience.

Transrectal fine-needle aspiration and transrectal or perineal core biopsies were simultaneously performed on 31 patients with suspected prostatic cancer over an eighteen-month period. Of the 29 aspirations that were adequate for cytologic diagnosis, there was histologic correlation in 24 (83%). The sensitivity of aspiration for the diagnosis for prostatic cancer was 92 per cent (11 of 12) compared with 85 per cent (11 of 13) for the core biopsy method. There were no apparent false negative or false positive diagnoses with the aspiration biopsy technique. Insufficient material was obtained by aspiration in 2 cases. A febrile urinary tract infection occurred in 1 patient after transrectal aspiration and core biopsy. Our results suggest that fine-needle aspiration may be utilized by the practicing urologist in conjunction with a pathologist trained in the interpretation of fine-needle aspirates as a safe, relatively inexpensive, and sensitive diagnostic procedure for suspected prostatic cancer.