Of 40 prostate cancer patients potent before focal therapy, 36 were satisfied with post-op potency.
Focal cryoablation for prostate cancer, the so-called male lumpectomy, appears to preserve potency in most men and limits other complications, especially in-continence, without compromising cancer control, said researchers.
Their conclusion is based on results of a study that evaluated 48 men who underwent the treatment and had at least two years of follow-up (range 2-10 years, mean 4.5 years). Of the
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48 patients, 45 (94%) have stable PSA levels, with no evidence of cancer even though 25 were at medium-to-high risk for recurrence, the investigators reported in Urologic Oncology (2008;26:500-505).
All 24 men who had stable PSA levels and were routinely biopsied tested negative for cancer. The investigators, who were led by Gary Onik, MD, of the Center for Surgical Advancement, Celebration Health/Florida Hospital in Celebration, Fla., observed no local recurrences in the areas treated. Potency was maintained to patient satisfaction in 36 of 40 patients who were potent preoperatively. All 48 patients were continent.
Traditionally, the researchers wrote, prostate cancer was thought to be multifocal and thus not amenable to focal treatment. Recent data indicate that up to 25% of prostate cancers are solitary and unilateral, they noted.
“If confirmed by further studies and long-term follow-up, this treatment approach could have a profound effect on prostate cancer management,” the authors concluded.
