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Focal therapy in the management of localized prostate cancer
Author(s) -
Nguyen Carvell T.,
Jones J. Stephen
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2010.09975.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cryotherapy , cryoablation , prostate cancer , prostate , cancer , high intensity focused ultrasound , radiation therapy , cryosurgery , radiology , ablation , ultrasound
What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Focal therapy, which includes cryotherapy and high‐intensity focused ultrasound, is a nascent and somewhat controversial field in the management of prostate cancer. The current review presents the rationale, indications and potential role for focal therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer. OBJECTIVES • To assess the rationale, efficacy, and morbidity of various methods of achieving focal prostatic ablation. • To determine the current role of focal therapy in the management of localized prostate cancer. METHODS • We performed a literature review of focal therapy in prostate cancer, with an emphasis on more established methods such as cryoablation and high‐intensity focused ultrasound. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS • Focal ablative methods allow targeted destruction of prostatic tissue while limiting the morbidity associated with whole‐gland therapy. • Local cancer control after focal therapy appears promising but does not approach that of established whole‐gland therapies. • Until we have the ability to identify patients reliably with truly focal disease and predict their natural history, focal therapy cannot be considered to be the definitive therapy for localized prostate cancer.