最后更新: 2026年8月25日
Prostate cancer is among the commonest cancers in men, and for decades the way of confirming it was the same: a needle passed through the wall of the rectum, sampling the prostate in a fixed pattern without knowing where any cancer actually was. Two things have changed since. They are separate changes, and they are constantly confused with one another — including in the earlier version of this article.
- 泰国曼谷医院泌尿外科中心 在线预约 02-310-3009 bhquro@bdms.co.th
- Samitivej Sriracha Hospital 春武里府 088-022-1445
Two advances, doing two different jobs
- MRI targeting changes what the biopsy finds. An MRI is performed first and scored for suspicious areas. Those images are then fused with the live ultrasound during the procedure, so the needle goes to the suspicious area rather than sampling blindly. This finds more of the cancers that matter, and finds fewer of the trivial ones that would never have caused harm.
- The transperineal route changes how safe the biopsy is. The needle passes through the skin between the scrotum and the anus instead of through the rectal wall, so it does not carry bowel bacteria into the prostate and bloodstream.
They are independent. A transrectal biopsy can be MRI-targeted, and a transperineal biopsy can be done without MRI. Doing both together is the current standard, but the credit belongs where it is due.


A correction to the comparison table published here
The earlier version of this article set out a table comparing the MRI-fusion transperineal approach against the conventional transrectal approach, giving cancer detection of 81% against 40%. That comparison has been removed, for two reasons.
First, the two columns differed in two ways at once — the route 和 whether MRI targeting was used — so no row in the table could be attributed to either one. Second, the two figures came from two different studies of different groups of men using different definitions, and setting them side by side implied a head-to-head comparison that was never made.
What the better evidence shows is more specific, and more useful:
- MRI targeting genuinely improves detection of clinically significant cancer compared with untargeted sampling — that gain is real and it is why MRI is now done before biopsy rather than after.
- Route makes little difference to detection. Randomised trials comparing transperineal against transrectal biopsy have found broadly similar cancer detection. Choosing the transperineal route is not how you find more cancer.
- Route makes a large difference to infection, which is the honest case for it, and a strong one.
The figure of 0% for prostatitis in the old table has also gone. No procedure has a zero complication rate, and publishing one invites a confidence the numbers cannot support.
What the route actually buys you
| Transperineal | Transrectal |
| Needle through the skin of the perineum | Needle through the rectal wall |
| Serious bloodstream infection is uncommon | Serious bloodstream infection is a recognised and more frequent risk, and antibiotic resistance has been making it worse |
| Rectal bleeding essentially avoided | Rectal bleeding common, occasionally significant |
| Better access to the front part of the gland, which transrectal sampling reaches poorly | Anterior tumours are more easily missed |
| Perineal soreness and bruising for a few days | Less perineal discomfort |
| Blood in the urine and semen for days to weeks | Blood in the urine and semen for days to weeks |
Blood in the semen deserves a word of its own because it alarms men who were not warned: it is expected, it can look dramatic, and it can persist for several weeks. It is not a sign that anything has gone wrong.
The MRI comes first — and may spare you the biopsy
This is worth knowing before you agree to anything. The modern sequence is MRI first, biopsy second, and the scan is scored for how suspicious it looks.
Where the MRI shows nothing suspicious and the clinical picture is reassuring, it is often reasonable not to biopsy at all, and instead to follow the PSA. Men are frequently unaware this option exists. Where the MRI shows a suspicious area, the biopsy targets it — and usually takes some additional systematic samples as well, because MRI does not see everything.
Whether to have a PSA test in the first place is its own decision, discussed under 我应该做 PSA 检测吗.
What a biopsy cannot tell you
- A negative biopsy does not prove there is no cancer. It samples a fraction of the gland. If the PSA continues rising or the MRI remains suspicious, the question stays open.
- A positive biopsy does not always mean treatment. Some prostate cancers found this way grow so slowly that monitoring is the correct management and treating them would cause more harm than the disease. Finding cancer and needing surgery are not the same thing.
- The grade matters more than the fact. What the pathologist reports about how aggressive the cells look drives everything that follows.
If the biopsy does confirm cancer, the next conversation is about treatment — see the surgical treatment options, including robotic prostatectomy and how candidates are selected.
Symptoms after a biopsy that need attention the same day
Infection after prostate biopsy can become serious quickly. In an emergency in Thailand, call 1669.
- 发热或寒战 — go to hospital, do not wait until morning. This is the one that matters most.
- Feeling faint, confused, or profoundly unwell.
- Unable to urinate 膀胱充满痛苦的液体。.
- Heavy bleeding, or clots blocking the flow.
- Increasing perineal pain and swelling after the first couple of days rather than settling.
常见问题
What is an MRI-fusion transperineal prostate biopsy?
An MRI performed beforehand is fused with the live ultrasound image during the procedure, so the needle is directed at the suspicious area rather than sampling blindly. The needle passes through the skin of the perineum rather than through the rectal wall. The first part improves what is found; the second part reduces infection.
Does the transperineal route find more cancer?
Not by itself. Randomised comparisons have found broadly similar detection between the two routes. What improves detection is MRI targeting, which can be used with either route. An earlier version of this article implied the route was responsible for a large detection advantage, and that has been corrected.
Why choose transperineal then?
Because it avoids driving bowel bacteria into the prostate and bloodstream. Serious infection after transrectal biopsy is uncommon but real, and antibiotic resistance has made it harder to prevent. Transperineal biopsy also reaches the front of the gland better, where transrectal sampling is weakest.
Is it painful, and will I be asleep?
It can be done under local anaesthetic or under general or spinal anaesthesia, depending on the number of samples planned, your anatomy and your preference. Ask which is planned for you before the day. Afterwards, expect perineal soreness and bruising for a few days.
My MRI was normal. Do I still need a biopsy?
Often not. Where the MRI shows nothing suspicious and the clinical picture is reassuring, following the PSA rather than proceeding to biopsy is frequently a reasonable option. It is a decision to make deliberately with your urologist rather than assuming the biopsy is automatic.
If cancer is found, will I need surgery?
Not necessarily. Some prostate cancers grow slowly enough that active monitoring is the right management and treatment would do more harm than the disease. The grade reported by the pathologist, not the mere presence of cancer, determines what happens next.
Is this available in Bangkok?
Yes. Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone performs MRI-fusion transperineal prostate biopsy at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters.
预约咨询
Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone 的出诊地点: Bangkok Hospital Headquarters 以及在春武里府的 Samitivej Sriracha Hospital,时间为 088-022-1445. Bring every previous PSA result with its date, and the MRI images themselves rather than only the report.
无法亲自就诊的患者(包括国际患者)可使用曼谷医院远程医疗服务——请提前通过电子邮件联系泌尿外科安排,邮箱: bhquro@bdms.co.th。Samitivej Sriracha 医院仅提供现场就诊服务。费用方面的咨询由医院答复,本网站不负责解答。
免责声明: 本内容由 Bangkok Hospital Headquarters 的委员会认证泌尿外科医生 Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone 撰写并审核,仅供健康教育之用。本内容不构成针对任何个人的医疗建议、诊断或处方,也不会通过私人消息渠道或社交媒体提供任何建议、诊断或处方。Dr. Soarawee 未开设任何公开社交媒体账号;任何以他的名义提供私人咨询的账号均为欺诈账号。在泰国遇到紧急情况时,请拨打 1669.
医学撰写与审核:Soarawee Weerasopone 医生(Pom 医生)——曼谷医院总院认证泌尿科医师,自 2016 年起从事泌尿外科临床工作。进修:台湾长庚纪念医院机器人手术学(2019 年) · 临床观察员:东京顺天堂大学附属医院泌尿内视镜学(2022 年) · 研究学者与临床观察员:美国贝勒医学院斯科特泌尿外科系(2025–2026 年)。.

Soarawee Weerasopone 医生(Dr. Pom)是 Bangkok Hospital Headquarters 的委员会认证泌尿科医生,专长于男性健康、机器人手术(da Vinci Xi)及肾结石治疗。他于 2019 年在台湾 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital 完成男科学及机器人手术与微创泌尿外科两项临床专科进修,2022 年在东京 Juntendo University Hospital 完成腔内泌尿外科观摩学习,并于 2025–2026 年在贝勒医学院 Scott 泌尿外科师从 Mohit Khera 教授完成研究学者及临床观察员任职。

