Focal Treatments in Prostate Cancer

Today, focal treatments have come to the fore as a new treatment option. However, patients with small, localized prostate cancer should have accepted one of the treatment options such as active surveillance, surgery or radiotherapy.

Focal therapy is a treatment method that focuses only on the area where the prostate cancer is located. The goal of treatment is to remove the small cancerous area inside the prostate. Our goal is to successfully destroy cancer sites and minimize side effects.

Advantages

• It maintains normal prostate tissue and function.
• Compared to surgery, urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction are less likely.
• Focal treatments can be repeated if necessary.
• It does not limit the option of receiving radiation therapy or surgical treatment afterwards.
• Rapid recovery is achieved and patients can return to work the next day.
• Early cancer outcomes are very successful, but clinical trials are ongoing.

Approach

Careful consideration is required to recommend focal therapy to patients. It is recommended after confirming that the tumor is small and localized and no more extensive treatment is required.

Methods

• Focal Cryoablation : It is a system that destroys the tumor area by freezing. Because focal cryoablation targets only a small area within the prostate, it causes fewer side effects than other cryoablation techniques, which freeze the entire prostate gland.
• NanoKnife® : The tissue is destroyed by irreversible electroporation using electricity with the probes placed on the tumor.
• Focal Laser Ablation : A probe is placed in the cancerous area of ​​the prostate. Cancerous tissue is destroyed by using the heat of the laser energy through the probe.
• High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) : High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) uses sound waves directed at the tumor to destroy tumors.

After focal treatment, the patient should be followed carefully as in other treatment options. He or she may recommend prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing and examination, MRI and ultrasound studies to evaluate the effects of treatment at follow-up. Follow-up biopsy can also be performed in these examinations. If recurrence is observed during the follow-up period, it can offer you many treatment options after focal treatment.