A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing TRANSrectal Biopsy Versus Local Anaethetic Transperineal Biopsy in Evaluation (TRANSLATE) of Men With Potential Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer

100,000 men each year in the United Kingdom are referred for investigation for possible prostate cancer based on an abnormal digital rectal examination of the prostate and/or an elevated age-specific PSA blood test. These men may be offered a pre-biopsy MRI scan, followed by a prostate biopsy. Prostate biopsies have typically been taken via an ultrasound-guided transrectal approach (TRUS) under local anaesthetic in the clinic for several decades. However, local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy (LATP) has been pioneered in recent years, in order to sample the prostate gland via the perineum in the clinic, with the potential advantage that the transperineal approach to sampling reduces the risk of serious infection, and improves the sampling of the prostate gland (thus increasing the cancer detection), whilst avoiding the need for general anaesthetic in the operating theatre (as was the case for historical template prostate biopsies).

The way in which urologists take biopsies for possible prostate has started to vary across the United Kingdom; however, no level 1 evidence exists as to which method is best - both in terms of detecting clinically significant prostate cancer, and in terms of the occurrence of serious infection and other common side-effects of the biopsy process, along with patient tolerability, re-biopsy rate, and cost-effectiveness.

The TRANSLATE study aims to recruit 1042 men from at least 9 large Urology departments from United Kingdom Hospitals. These men will be under investigation for possible prostate cancer, and will not have received a prostate biopsy previously.

All men eligible for the study will have had a pre-biopsy MRI scan as part of the investigation for possible prostate cancer. After obtaining informed consent they will be randomised to either a TRUS biopsy or an LATP biopsy. Following the biopsy procedure, the study team will follow up the men in order to determine the rate of detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (primary outcome) in each biopsy group. The study team will also gather information (as secondary outcomes) on the occurrence of any post biopsy infections, and other patient reported biopsy-related complications such as bleeding, bruising, pain, and loss of erections and sexual function. Additionally, the study team will record any subsequent prostate biopsy procedures, which might be recommended if the first prostate biopsy has produced a possible 'false negative' result, where clinicians have concerns that the prostate biopsy result is inconsistent with the pre-biopsy MRI scan result and where there are concerns that a 'clinically significant' prostate cancer may have been under-detected. Data will be collected before the biopsy (baseline), immediately after the biopsy, and then at 7 days, 35 days and 4 months following the biopsy.

The total length of the study is 31 months (to include trial setup phase, recruitment phase, data analysis and write-up of reports and publications). Recruitment of patients will last for 15 months. There will be a formal 'stop/go' review at the end of month 12 (i.e. after a full 6 months of recruitment) in order to ensure that a minimum of 140 patients has been randomised, and that at least 4 centres have been opened to recruitment. If the study team meets the 'stop/go' recruitment target, the trial will continue to recruit for a further 9 months. Data from all patients recruited in the 15 month period will be included in the final analysis.