A biopsy is taken from men who may have prostate cancer because an elevated PSA (prostate specific antigen) level is found in the blood. This biopsy can determine whether or not the patient has a tumor and how extensive and aggressive it is. A biopsy can sometimes be a painful experience for the patient. Precision is important, especially with very small deviations.
Accurate biopsy by robot
Of Robot Biopteur can see the abnormality on the MRI to determine the exact location of the abnormal tissue and perform the biopsy. This is done by a small robot that connects to the MRI scanner and takes two or three precisely determined, targeted biopsies. That tissue is then examined by the pathologist for the presence of cancer cells. “With the introduction of the Robot Biopteur, we have taken prostate cancer care for our patients to an even higher level,” says Dr. Han, radiologist at Reinier Haga Prostate Cancer Center.
The robotic-guided biopsy is used when small abnormalities are found in a prostate. With such small abnormalities, taking a biopsy using techniques such as the ultrasound-guided biopsy is a lot more difficult because it makes the precise location of the tumor more difficult to determine. With the help of the Robot Biopteur, the chance that prostate cancer will be detected at an earlier stage is much greater.
50 patients in 2020
The Reinier Haga PKC is, together with, among others, the Máxima MC, one of the four largest prostate cancer treatment centers. Of the more than 12,000 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, an average of 1,500 are examined and diagnosed at the Reinier Haga PKC. About 50 patients are expected to be eligible for an MRI-guided prostate biopsy this year with the innovative Robot Biopteur.
In the PKC, a team of nine urologists, six radiologists, four radiotherapists, four oncologists, five oncology nurses and nuclear medicine and pathologists work in one room and from two of our own locations. These healthcare professionals come from all hospitals of the Reinier Haga Group, namely the Reinier de Graaf Hospital, the Haga Hospital and the LangeLand Hospital.
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