Chronic abacterial prostatitis and hyperthermia. A possible new treatment?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Physics
• Oncology

Background:

• Chronic abacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia are challenging conditions with limited treatment options.
• Patients often experience prolonged symptoms despite various conventional therapies.
• Previous treatments administered by specialists over several years proved ineffective for the study cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of local deep microwave hyperthermia in treating chronic abacterial prostatitis/prostatodynia.
• To assess the impact of a 6-week hyperthermia protocol on patient-reported symptoms.
• To explore novel therapeutic avenues for a condition with historically poor treatment response.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 45 patients with chronic abacterial prostatitis/prostatodynia participated.
• Treatment involved 6 weekly, 1-hour sessions of local deep microwave hyperthermia targeting the prostate at 42.5 +/- 0.5°C.
• Each patient served as their own control, with assessments conducted before and after the hyperthermia course.

Main Results:

• A significant positive response was observed in 75% of the patients.
• 25% of patients experienced a sustained and complete resolution of symptoms.
• An additional 50% of patients reported a partial improvement in their condition.

Conclusions:

• Local deep microwave hyperthermia demonstrates encouraging efficacy for chronic abacterial prostatitis/prostatodynia.
• This modality presents a viable new treatment option for patients refractory to conventional therapies.
• The findings suggest hyperthermia could significantly improve management strategies for this difficult-to-treat condition.