Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2008;38:192-199
Focal therapy with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of localized prostate cancer provides immediate cancer control, comparable to that of other treatment modalities, according to Japanese researchers.
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A team at the Teikyo University School of Medicine in Tokyo studied 70 patients (median age, 72 years) who underwent HIFU. In 29 patients whose tumor was confined to only one lobe, total peripheral zone and a half portion of transitional zone were ablated (focal therapy). For the other 41 patients, the whole prostate was ablated (whole therapy).
The two-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates in patients at low, intermediate, and high risk were 85.9%, 50.9%, and 0%. After 12 months, 81.6% were biopsy negative; 84.4% in patients who received whole therapy and 76.5% in those who received focal therapy. The two-year biochemical DFS rates for low and intermediate risk patients were 90.9% and 49.9%, respectively, for the whole therapy group and 83.3% and 53.6% for the focal therapy group.
In patients who did not receive neo-adjuvant androgen deprivation, serum testosterone levels decreased continuously in patients who received whole therapy, but did not change in patients treated with focal therapy.
