Thermal ablation of prostate diseases: advantages and limitations

Both benign and malignant conditions affecting prostate gland are very common in elderly men. However, the conventional treatment of these conditions can be associated with significant side effects and complications, and less invasive treatment alternative has been always searched for. Because of the anatomical location and easy accessibility of prostate, many newer treatment modalities using thermal ablation have been applied to the organ. These include not only heating of the pathological tissue but also freezing. Some of such treatment techniques have shown to be effective and safe and been clinically used widely. In this review article, various tissue ablation techniques using temperature change applied to prostate gland are covered. Each procedure's advantages and disadvantages are compared and discussed.