Articles

  • [Artificial urinary sphincter in patients with urinary incontinence after High Intensity Focused ultrasound].

    Urinary incontinence after High Intensity Focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a poorly documented issue. To our knowledge, no study has evaluated the outcomes of artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) after HIFU.

    Published February 13, 2022
  • A Pilot Study of 68Ga-PSMA11 and 68Ga-RM2 PET/MRI for Evaluation of Prostate Cancer Response to High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Therapy.

    Rationale: Focal therapy for localized prostate cancer (PC) using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is gaining in popularity as it is non-invasive and associated with fewer side effects than standard whole-gland treatments.

    Published November 7, 2022
  • A review of high intensity focused ultrasound in relation to the treatment of renal tumours and other malignancies.

    For 60years, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been the subject of interest for medical research. HIFU causes tissue necrosis in a very well defined area, at a variable distance from the transducer, through heating or cavitation.

    Published August 25, 2015
  • Beyond the Abstract - Focal therapy with high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer in the elderly. A feasibility study with 10 years follow-up, by Eric Barret, MD

    BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - Focal therapy in prostate cancer is an individualized therapy that precisely ablates known disease while preserving functionality, attempting to minimize lifetime morbidity without compromising life expectancy.

    Published August 9, 2011
  • Cryotherapy versus high-intensity focused ultrasound for treating prostate cancer: Oncological and functional results.

    The increasingly early diagnosis of prostate cancer requires a search for therapeutic alternatives with good oncological results that in turn facilitate a good long-term quality of life. This review analyses 2 minimally invasive therapies for treating localised prostate cancer in terms of oncological and functional results, as well as the complications resulting from the therapies.

    Published August 25, 2017
  • EDAP receives U.S. FDA filing acceptance of pre-market approval application

    LYON, FRANCE (Press Release) - (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - March 28, 2013

    Ablatherm(R)-HIFU PMA Application Proceeds to Substantive Review

    Published March 28, 2013
  • Evaluation of functional outcomes following a second focal-HIFU in men with primary localised, non-metastatic prostate cancer; Results from the High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Evaluation and Assessment of Treatment (HEAT) Registry.

    To assess change in functional outcomes after second focal-HIFU compared to one focal-HIFU treatment.

    In this multi-centre study (2005-2016), 821 men underwent focal-HIFU for localised non-metastatic prostate cancer.

    Published January 28, 2020
  • Evolving imaging methods of prostate cancer and the emergence of magnetic resonance imaging guided ablation techniques.

    Established therapies for prostate cancer (PCa), surgery and radiotherapy, treat the entire gland regardless of the location of the cancerous lesion within the prostate. Although effective, these methods include a significant risk of worsening genitourinary outcomes.

    Published December 7, 2022
  • Focal High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound vs. Active Surveillance for ISUP Grade 1 Prostate Cancer: Medium-Term Results of a Matched-Pair Comparison.

    Only 1 randomized controlled trial has compared focal therapy and active surveillance (AS) for the low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). We investigated whether focal HIFU (fHIFU) yields oncologic advantages over AS for low-risk PCa.

    Published August 5, 2022
  • Focal salvage therapy for local prostate cancer recurrences after primary radiotherapy: a comprehensive review.

    BACKGROUND/AIM - Patients with locally recurrent prostate cancer after primary radiotherapy can be eligible for salvage treatment. Whole-gland salvage techniques carry a high risk of toxicity. A focal salvage approach might reduce the risk of adverse events while maintaining cancer control in carefully selected patients.

    Published March 29, 2016
  • Focal therapy as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer: definition, needs and future.

    Focal therapy (FT) may offer a promising treatment option in the field of low to intermediate risk localized prostate cancer. The aim of this concept is to combine minimal morbidity with cancer control as well as maintain the possibility of retreatment.

    Published November 29, 2016
  • HIFU focal therapy for prostate cancer using intraoperatory contrast enhanced ultrasound.

    High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Focal therapy appears to have encouraging oncologic outcomes and urinary and erectile function. The control of the treated area can be done using contrast enhanced ultrasound with sulfur hexafluoride (Sonovue®) at the end of the procedure.

    Published October 15, 2019
  • High-intensity focused ultrasound with visually directed power adjustment for focal treatment of localized prostate cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

    To characterize patient outcomes following visually directed high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for focal treatment of localized prostate cancer.

    We performed a systematic review of cancer-control outcomes and complication rates among men with localized prostate cancer treated with visually directed focal HIFU.

    Published March 22, 2024
  • High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound: Current Status for Image-Guided Therapy.

    Image-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an innovative therapeutic technology, permitting extracorporeal or endocavitary delivery of targeted thermal ablation while minimizing injury to the surrounding structures.

    Published December 11, 2015
  • Long-term outcomes of whole gland high-intensity focused ultrasound for localized prostate cancer.

    To report the 10-year oncologic and functional outcomes of whole-gland HIFU as first-line treatment for localized prostate cancer (PCa).

    Patients were retrospectively included between January 2005 and July 2018 from a prospectively maintained database at a single academic institution.

    Published April 12, 2022
  • Medium-term oncological outcomes in a large cohort of men treated with either focal or hemi-ablation using high-intensity focused ultrasonography for primary localized prostate cancer.

    To report medium-term oncological outcomes in men receiving primary focal treatment with high-intensity focused ultrasonography ( HIFU) for prostate cancer (PCa).

    Consecutive patients with PCa treated with primary focal HIFU at two centres by six treating clinicians were assessed.

    Published March 22, 2019
  • MR Imaging-Guided Focal Therapies of Prostate Cancer.

    MR imaging-guided focal therapy is a viable treatment option for patients with localized prostate cancer. After the identification of a malignant focus in the prostate gland on multiparametric MR imaging, treatment can be directed in a precise fashion to the area of interest.

    Published November 28, 2018
  • New Advances in Focal Therapy for Early Stage Prostate Cancer.

    Prostate focal therapy offers men the opportunity to achieve oncological control while preserving sexual and urinary function. The prerequisites for successful focal therapy are to accurately identify, localize and completely ablate the clinically significant cancer(s) within the prostate.

    Published June 29, 2017
  • Oncological and functional outcomes of elderly men treated with HIFU vs. minimally invasive radical prostatectomy: A propensity score analysis.

    To assess outcomes of whole gland high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as compared with minimally-invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) in elderly patients.

    Patients aged ≥70 years with, cT1-cT2 disease, biopsy Gleason score (GS) 3 + 3 or 3 + 4 and preoperative PSA ≤10 ng/mL were submitted to either whole-gland HIFU or MIRP.

    Published December 15, 2017
  • Oncological and functional results of focal treatment of localized prostate cancer with HIFU.

    In recent years, improved diagnosis of prostate cancer has allowed the development of focal therapy, in order to reduce the morbidity of treatments. Our study assesses the medium-term oncological and functional results of FocalOne® HIFU treatment in localized prostate cancer.

    Published October 2, 2023
  • Outcomes and toxicities in patients treated with definitive focal therapy for primary prostate cancer: systematic review.

    This systematic review summarizes the clinical data on focal therapy (FT) when used alone as definitive therapy for primary prostate cancer (PCa).

    The protocol is detailed in the online PROSPERO database, registration No.

    Published November 8, 2016
  • Prospective multicentre study using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the focal treatment of prostate cancer: Safety outcomes and complications.

    To investigate focal therapy using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer (CaP), we analyzed the safety and complications of this procedure.

    Patients (pts) eligible for this multicenter prospective cohort study suffered from low to intermediate risk localized CaP with no prior treatment.

    Published October 21, 2019
  • Prostate cancer outcomes following whole-gland and focal high-intensity focused ultrasound.

    To report the 5-year failure-free survival (FFS) following HIFU.

    This observational cohort study used linked national cancer registry data, radiotherapy data, administrative hospital data and mortality records of 1,381 men treated with HIFU for clinically localised prostate cancer in England.

    Published July 10, 2023
  • Prostate cancer treatment by the latest focal HIFU device with MRI/TRUS-fusion control biopsies: A prospective evaluation.

    Magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound (MRI/TRUS) fusion-guided focal high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy of the prostate has recently been developed as a selective HIFU-therapy technique to enable targeted ablation of prostate cancer.

    Published August 13, 2018
  • Prostate Focused Ultrasound Therapy.

    The tremendous progress in engineering and computing power coupled with ultrasound transducer technology and imaging modalities over the past 20 years have encouraged a revival of clinical interest in ultrasound therapy, mainly in High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU).

    Published October 29, 2015
  • Prostate-specific antigen vs. magnetic resonance imaging parameters for assessing oncological outcomes after high intensity-focused ultrasound focal therapy for localized prostate cancer.

    Focal therapy for localized prostate cancer has the potential for oncological control without the side effects of radical therapies. However, there is currently no validated method for monitoring treatment success.

    Published September 26, 2016
  • Quality of life and functional outcome after infravesical desobstruction and HIFU treatment for localized prostate cancer.

    To evaluate quality of life, functional and oncological outcome after infravesical desobstruction and HIFU treatment for localized prostate cancer.

    One hundred thirty-one patients, treated with TURP and HIFU in a single institution were followed up for oncological and functional outcome.

    Published January 19, 2017
  • Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy After Focal Therapy: Oncological, Functional Outcomes and Predictors of Recurrence.

    There are few data on the outcomes and toxicity of radical prostatectomy (RP) among men experiencing local recurrence of prostate cancer (PC) following focal therapy (FT). To characterise perioperative, oncological, and functional outcomes after salvage robot-assisted RP (S-RALP) and determine the risk factors for S-RALP failure, we conducted a multicentre cohort study of 82 patients undergoing S-RALP after FT.

    Published March 21, 2019
  • Salvage Hemiablation High Intensity Focused Ultrasound for unilateral radio-recurrent prostate cancer.

    To report the oncological and functional outcomes of salvage hemiablation high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in patients with unilateral radio-recurrent prostate cancer.

    Patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after primary radiation therapy and evidence of unilateral organ confined recurrence based on a complete match between mpMRI and MRI targeted biopsies were included.

    Published August 16, 2019
  • Salvage robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy following focal high-intensity focused ultrasound for ISUP 2/3 cancer.

    To report feasibility and outcome of salvage robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (S-RALP) after focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment compared to primary robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (pRALP).

    Published July 5, 2021
  • Single-center, prospective phase 2 trial of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in patients with unilateral localized prostate cancer: good functional results but oncologically not as safe as expected.

    Focal therapy (FT) for localized prostate cancer (PCa) is only recommended within the context of clinical trials by international guidelines. We aimed to investigate oncological follow-up and safety data of focal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment.

    Published March 17, 2023
  • The role of MRI for detection and staging of radio- and focal therapy-recurrent prostate cancer.

    Local recurrent prostate cancer after radical treatment is found in the majority of men with a rising PSA. Salvage treatment procedures for recurrent disease, such as radiation therapy and ablative procedures, can provide long-term responses in well-selected cases.

    Published February 28, 2019
  • Treatment for Localized Prostate Cancer

    Selection of the appropriate treatment requires assessment of the tumor's potential aggressiveness and the general health, life expectancy, and quality of life preferences of the patient. The treatment outcomes in patients may be influenced by the malignant potential of the tumors as well as by the treatment used. 

    Conservative Treatment: 

    Watchful Waiting refers to monitoring the patient until he develops metastases that require palliative treatment.  

    • Watchful waiting has been reserved for men with a life expectancy of less than 10 years and a low-grade (Gleason score 2 to 5) prostate cancer.

    Active surveillance allows delayed primary treatment if there is biochemical or histologic evidence of cancer progression. 

    • Active surveillance is being evaluated as a management strategy in younger patients with low-volume, low- or intermediate-grade (up to Gleason score 3 + 4 = 7) tumors to avoid or to delay treatment that might not be immediately necessary.
    • Monitoring of the patient for progression for either watchful waiting or active surveillance patients are usually observed with semiannual PSA determinations, DRE, and annual biopsies.  
    • Intervention is recommended if Gleason pattern 4 or 5 is present, more than two biopsy cores are involved, or more than 50% of a biopsy core is involved. 
    • Progression is more likely in patients who have cancer present on every biopsy procedure. 
    • The absence of cancer on repeated biopsy significantly decreases the likelihood of progression. 
    • Biopsy criteria used in active surveillance have been reported to be more accurate than PSA criteria in predicting progression. 
    • No study has found DRE or imaging studies to independently predict progression.
    • In most studies of active surveillance, approximately 25% to 50% of patients, depending on their individual risk factors, develop objective evidence of tumor progression within 5 years.  
    • Presently, no tumor marker can identify indolent tumors with certainty.
    • Additional clinical and laboratory research are needed to define the parameters for safe use of active surveillance in younger men, including the appropriate selection criteria, follow-up procedures, and trigger points for intervention.
    • All prostate cancer patients are at risk for progression.
    • If the PSA level is rising, the DRE suggests tumor growth, or surveillance biopsy specimens show evidence of increased involvement by cancer, treatment should be instituted.
    •  Patients may change their minds about remaining on an active surveillance protocol; therefore the physician should review management options on follow-up visits.
    • In discussing treatment for prostate cancer, it is important to consider patient factors such as age and general performance status as well as tumor factors such as Gleason score, initial serum PSA, and estimated clinical volumes/stage of the tumor. 
    • If a patient has less than a 50 percent chance of surviving 10 years, it is difficult to measure the positive effect of treatment. 
    • The side effects of different therapies also have to be considered. It is optimal when patients come to a treatment decision based on consultation and input from both surgical and radiation oncology services.

    The current treatment paradigm

    • Multiple guidelines endorse active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer, but concerns regarding biopsy under-sampling and under-staging have limited its acceptance.

    • Today, more than 90 percent of these low risk patients undergo immediate treatment such as radical prostatectomy or radiation, despite less than a 3% chance of low risk disease progressing 

    Genomic Prostate Score (GPS)

    • The Oncotype DX prostate cancer test (Genomic Prostate Score) is a biopsy-based genomic test that, when combined with other measures, can be used to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer
    • The GPS test is a standardized, validated biopsy-based test that measures the level of expression of multiple genes across multiple pathways that predict aggressive prostate cancer

    more on genomics: 

    Radical or complete prostatectomy

    • This is the treatment choice for patients with organ-confined disease and a life expectancy of more than 10 years. Generally, age 70 is used as a relative cutoff for strongly recommending surgery and 75 years of age is certainly the upper accepted end of the age limit. 
    • The patient goals are the cure of his cancer (survival), the preservation of his potency, and to remain continent.  Patients want all three outcomes. 
    • The indications for LRP and RALP are identical to that for open surgery (patients with ≤ clinical stage T2 with no evidence of metastasis either clinically or radiographically.
    • The radical perineal prostatectomy is associated with reduced blood loss as the dorsal venous complex is not divided. It may be the preferred approach in very obese men or in those with a history of abdominal or pelvic surgery where significant retropubic scarring and fibrosis are suspected.
    • The disadvantages are that it does not provide access for a pelvic lymph node dissection, there is a higher rate of rectal injury, and there is occasional postoperative fecal incontinence that does not occur commonly with other approaches.
    • It is more difficult to spare the cavernous nerves through the perineal approach.The open retropubic approach is preferred by many urologists because of their familiarity with the surgical anatomy, the lower risk for rectal injury and postoperative fecal incontinence, the wide exposure and ready access provided for pelvic lymphadenectomy and prostate excision with preservation of the neurovascular bundles, and the lower risk for positive surgical margins.
    • Significant urinary incontinence may be encountered in up to 4 to 8 percent of patients, and bladder neck contractures can occur in 2 to 6 percent of patients. 
    • Surgical mortality is less than 0.2 percent but 1 to 2 percent of patients may develop pulmonary emboli. 
    • When laparoscopic prostatectomy (LRP) is performed by a skilled laparoscopic surgeon, reported incontinence and anastomotic stricture rates are comparable to those achieved with open surgery. 
    • It has been claimed that nerve sparing is equivalent or even better with laparoscopic surgery, but direct comparisons and validated results are lacking. 
    • The early reported rates of positive surgical margins have been higher with laparoscopic prostatectomy, and the adequacy of cancer control is as yet uncertain because of lack of long-term results.
    • Remotely controlled laparoscopic surgery or the robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy has becoome popularized because of its greater technical ease for the surgeon, especially for tying sutures and performing the vesicourethral anastomosis.
    • The availability of three-dimensional visualization is an advantage over standard laparoscopic techniques.
    • Early reported results are favorable, but have not been validated.
    • It is also more difficult to perform a lymph node dissection with laparoscopic approaches.
    • Pelvic lymphadenectomy is optional in patients at low risk for lymph node metastases.

    Postoperative patient care

    • Patients should ambulate with assistance beginning on the afternoon or evening of surgery.
    • The catheter may be removed 3 to 21 days after surgery, depending on the integrity and the amount of tension on the vesicourethral anastomosis. The more days the catheter is in place the greater the risk of urinarty tract infection (CaUTI).  Removal of the catheter before 7 days is associated with a 15% to 20% risk of urinary retention - View Protocol.  View all CaUTI resources at www.cautichallenge.com

    • After the catheter has been removed, Kegel exercises should be initiated. A protective pad is used until complete urinary control is achieved. The postoperative serum PSA level should be undetectable by 1 month after the operation. 
    • The return of urinary continence is associated with the patient's age: approximately 95% of men younger than 60 years can attain pad-free urinary continence after surgery; 85% of men older than 70 years regain continence. Few require implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter or a sling procedure for stress urinary incontinence.
    • The return of erectile function after radical retropubic prostatectomy correlates with the age of the patient, preoperative potency status and the extent of nerve-sparing surgery.
    • In candidates in whom preoperative potency is normal and bilateral nerve-sparing surgery can be performed, up to 95% in their 40s, 85% in their 50s, 75% in their 60s, and 50% in their 70s can attain recovery of erections sufficient for penetration and intercourse. In most instances, erections are not as good as they were preoperatively.
    • In patients, erections usually begin to return as partial erections 3 to 6 months after surgery and may continue to improve for up to 3 years or more.  

    External beam radiation therapy

    • This is an option for localized prostate cancer and is the treatment of choice for T3 disease. 
    • There is evidence from prospective, randomized trials that dose escalation and three-dimensional definition improve results considerably.
    • External beam radiotherapy involves the use of beams of gamma radiation, usually photons, directed at the prostate and surrounding tissues through multiple fields.
    • The most sophisticated form of 3D-CRT, called intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), can provide localization of the radiation dose to geometrically complex fields.
    • Heavy-particle therapy is another form of 3D-CRT in which the radiation beam can be virtually “stopped” within the tissue, allowing high doses of radiation to be delivered to a localized region. 
    • Proton beam therapy is more expensive than other forms of 3D-CRT, and limited long-term results have been reported.
    • Currently, doses of 76 to 80 Gy or more have been shown to improve cancer control.
    • Low-risk patients are now frequently treated with 70 to 72 Gy, intermediate-risk patients with 75 to 76 Gy, and high-risk patients with 80 Gy or more. Doses above 75 Gy are now considered to be indicated; however, doses above 80 Gy have not been demonstrated to be beneficial.
    • In general, it is administered in divided doses ranging from 70 to 80 Gy and is well tolerated. 
    • Approximately 3 to 5 percent of patients will experience persistent rectal or bladder symptomatology and greater than 50 percent of patients develop erectile dysfunction within 2 years. Hematuria or hemorrhagic cystitis is a late development in a small percentage of patients. Techniques of conformal therapy have reduced unwanted radiation to the bladder and rectum.
    • CT imaging is considered the standard imaging modality for 3D-CRT and 3D-IMRT, but CT is less precise than MRI.
    • A prior transurethral resection of the prostate is a relative contraindication to brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy because the prostate does not hold the seeds well, and radiation after transurethral resection of the prostate is associated with an increased risk for urethral stricture. 
    • The presence of severe obstructive urinary symptoms is also a relative contraindication because of the risk for acute urinary retention, which is an even greater risk in patients treated with brachytherapy. 
    • Another relative contraindication is inflammatory bowel disease.
    • Approximately half of patients develop erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. This is caused by injury to the vasculature of the cavernous nerves and to the corpora cavernosa of the penis, usually beginning about 1 year after the completion of treatment. 
    • Younger patients with good baseline erectile function are more likely to retain adequate erections. PDE-5 inhibitors are useful in ameliorating the erectile dysfunction associated with radiotherapy. Lower doses of radiation to the penile bulb have been investigated as a means of minimizing radiation-induced erectile dysfunction. The use of adjuvant hormone therapy also adversely affects erectile function.
    • Evaluation of the outcomes of radiotherapy is challenging because cancer cells are not killed immediately after exposure to ionizing radiation. Rather, they sustain lethal DNA damage but do not die until their next attempt to enter into cell division. The PSA level gradually decreases for up to 2 to 3 years after the completion of radiotherapy. 
    • The PSA level is usually monitored at 6-month intervals until it reaches a nadir. In patients treated with external beam radiotherapy, the prostate gland is not completely ablated, and the remaining prostate epithelium continues to produce PSA.
    • In high-risk patients, external beam radiotherapy has also been combined with brachytherapy. The brachytherapy is usually given first, so that the external beam therapy can be discontinued if the patient begins to experience toxicity.

    Brachytherapy

    • Radioactive sources (seeds or needles) are implanted directly into the prostate gland, and sometimes into the surrounding tissues, to deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor while sparing, to the extent possible, the bladder and the rectum.
    • The most commonly used permanent implants are iodine-125 or palladium-103 seeds.
    • Ultrasound-guided transperineal brachytherapy has become an accepted modality for the treatment of localized prostate cancer using 1251 or 103 Pd radiation sources. The radiation doses delivered to the prostate are approximately 145 Gy for iodine and 125 Gy for palladium.  
    • Optimal candidates have a serum PSA of less than 10 ng/mL, and a Gleason score of 6 or lower. Many centers utilize short-term neoadjuvant hormonal blockade given the difficulty in treating prostate glands larger than 50 g. Conversely, glands smaller than 20 g are difficult to implant. 
    • Urinary retention occurs in up to 22% of patients.
    • Short-term complications include urinary retention, urethritis, and irritative voiding symptoms, especially in patients with a history of lower urinary tract obstructive symptoms. Long-term major complications include stricture or contracture development and proctitis. Incontinence is uncommon but averages 20 percent in men with a history of transurethral resection of the prostate. 

    Stereotactic Radiotherapy (“Cyberknife”)

    • More data is needed to include in this section 

    Adjuvant Radiotherapy after Radical Prostatectomy

    • Retrospective cohort studies have shown that postoperative radiotherapy reduces recurrence rates in patients with pathologic stage T3 disease and positive margins. 
    • A trial of adjuvant radiation after radical prostatectomy of men with stage pT3 prostate cancer or positive margins revealed that adjuvant radiation reduced the recurrence rate and that positive margins were the strongest predictor of benefit.  
    • Side effects of adjuvant radiotherapy also include a 5% to 10% risk of radiation proctitis and a 50% probability that return of erectile function will be materially compromised.
    • It is impossible to compare the results of surgery with those of radiotherapy because of the difference in the end points used for treatment failure, that is, undetectable PSA for surgery versus the ASTRO or Phoenix criteria for radiotherapy.

    Primary Hormone Therapy

    • Primary androgen-deprivation therapy may be appropriate for older men, those with significant medical comorbidities precluding the use of curative therapy, and those who do not wish to undergo curative therapy.
    • Cardiovascular evaluation is recommended prior to treatment of men at risk for cardiovascular complications.
    • Hormone therapy is never curative; nevertheless, many patients experience long-term remissions. Luteinizing hormone–releasing hormone analogs are commonly used. 
    • Antiandrogens produce less sexual dysfunction and osteoporosis but have a greater risk for adverse cardiovascular complications.

    Cryosurgery

    • Current technology uses argon gas circulating through hollow needles to freeze the prostate and helium gas to warm the urethra. 
    • Cryoablation has been used as primary treatment for salvage after radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. 
    • A prior transurethral resection of the prostate is considered a relative contraindication to cryoablation.
    • An undetectable PSA level is seldom attainable after cryoablation.Pelvic pain persists.
    • Complications associated with salvage cryoablation were much more frequent than for primary treatment.
    • Complications of salvage cryotherapy included 4.4% incontinence, 1.2% rectal fistula, and 3.2% requiring a transurethral resection of the prostate for obstruction.

    High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

    • Transrectally applied high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can elevate the tissue temperature of the prostate up to 100° C.
    • Treatment is performed under general or spinal anesthesia and takes 1 to 4 hours, depending on the prostate volume, which should not exceed 40 cc.
    • Most patients require a urethral or suprapubic catheter for several days.
    • The procedure is usually well tolerated; the most common side effect is acute urinary retention, occurring in about 20% of patients. 
    • Other potential complications are urinary fistula, incontinence, urethral stricture, and perineal pain. 
    • Erectile dysfunction has been reported in 27% to 61%.
    • Clinical trials are continuing in the USA and other countries.  

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    Published June 12, 2013