<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the
role of transrectal real-
time tissue elastography (TRTE) in the
diagnosis of
prostate cancer (
PCa).</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>Eighty-four
patients with suspected
PCa and scheduled for
prostate biopsies underwent TRTE,
digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal
ultrasonography (TRUS), and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The findings of TRTE were compared with those of other examinations and pathological findings.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of these 84
patients, 36 had benign lesions and 48 had
PCa. The diagnostic
sensitivity,
specificity, accuracy,
positive predictive value and
negative predictive value were 91.7%, 72.2%, 83.3%, 81.5%, and 86.7% for TRTE and 85.4%ì63.9%ì76.2%, 75.9%, and 76.7% for TRUS (P>0.05), while its
specificity (72.2%) was significantly higher than that of MRI (44.4%) (P=0.03). The TRTE findings were not significantly correlated with the pathological findings and
serum total
prostate specific antigen (P>0.05), and the diagnostic
sensitivity of TRTE decreased along with the enlargement of
prostate. However, the diagnostic
specificity of TRTE was higher than MRI for nodules with soft to medium texture (P=0.04).For
PCa, the diagnostic
sensitivity of TRTE increased when the Gleanson scores of
tumors increased (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TRTE can be used as a
diagnostic test to supplement
clinical diagnosis of
PCa.</p>