Section of Urology and Andrology, Department of Medical-Surgical Specialties and Public Health, Policlinico Santa Maria della Misericordia Sant'Andrea delle Fratte Perugia, University of Perugia, 06122 Perugia, Italy.
In prostate cancer, an interesting and intriguing option to overcome the risks of whole-gland treatment is focal therapy, with the aim of eradicating known cancer foci and reducing collateral damages to the structures essential for maintaining normal urinary and sexual function. Ablation of all known lesions would favorably alter the natural history of the cancer without impacting health-related quality of life and allows for safe retreatment with repeated focal therapy or whole-gland approaches if necessary. Our objective is to reassess the possibilities and criticisms of such procedure: the rationale for focal therapy and the enthusiasm come from the success of conservative approaches in treating other malignancies and in the high incidence of overtreatment introduced by prostate cancer screening programs. One of the challenges in applying such an approach to the treatment of prostate cancer is the multifocal nature of the disease and current difficulties in accurate tumor mapmaking.
Written by:
Mearini L, Porena M. Are you the author?
Reference: Prostate Cancer. 2011;2011:584784.
doi: 10.1155/2011/584784
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22110990
UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section
