Clinical stage was determined mainly by digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasonography combined with the result of needle biopsy. We selected the patients to be checked for metastasis by eliminating patients with a minimum risk of metastasis according to Partin nomogram (Partin et al., 1993) and other reports on bone metastasis (Oesterling, 1991; Oesterling, 1993). Ultrasound guided transrectal needle biopsy was performed on 123 patients under caudal block, excluding the patients who were given a diagnosis of PCa after transurethral resection of the prostate for BPH. We obtained a total of 14 samples per case from the peripheral and transition zone including far lateral part, dividing the.
