Detection of prostate cancer with a microbubble ultrasound contrast agent

The diagnosis of prostate cancer is currently limited by the low sensitivit y and specificity of systematic conventional grey-scale ultrasonography. We assessed contrast-enhanced colour Doppler ultrasonography by means of a mi crobubble ultrasound contrast agent to detect tumour vascularity and improv e the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The use of a microbubble ultrasound con trast agent for transrectal colour Doppler targeted biopsy significantly im proved the detection of prostate cancer compared with systematic biopsy fol lowing conventional grey-scale ultrasonography (p<0.001). Contrast-agent en hanced colour Doppler imaging may allow for limited targeted biopsies (five or less), which reduces costs and morbidity.