Original Article A new 5-grading score in the diagnosis of prostate cancer with real-time elastography

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of transrectal real-time elastography (TRTE) in diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCA). Methods: 195 patients with an elevated PSA level were enrolled in the study. A novel 5-grading score of prostate outer gland was applied by TRTE imaging. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of TRTE score. Results: TRTE scores in patients with PCA and benign condition were 3.20 ± 1.11 (range: 1-5) and 2.24 ± 1.01 (range: 1-4), respectively (P 10 ng/ml (85.3% vs. 66.7%, P = 0.002). Conclusion: TRTE score, a novel semi-quantitative assessment of patients' prostate stiffness, can be served as a useful screening method for patients suspicious of PCA, especially those only having an elevated PSA level.