High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Grade Group 1-3 Localized Prostate Cancer: Oncologic and Safety Outcomes in a...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Prostate cancer is a common malignancy in older men.
• Minimally invasive treatments like high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) are gaining traction for their potential to reduce side effects and preserve function.
• Evaluating HIFU's outcomes is crucial for advancing prostate cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the oncologic and functional outcomes of whole-gland HIFU for localized prostate cancer.
• To compare HIFU outcomes with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RaRP).
• To identify factors associated with recurrence after HIFU treatment.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 63 patients with localized prostate cancer (T2 stage, Grade Group 1-3) treated with whole-gland HIFU.
• Outcomes measured: biochemical disease-free survival, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics, and complication rates.
• Biochemical recurrence defined by ASTRO Phoenix criteria; a control group of RaRP patients was included.

Main Results:

• Median follow-up was 14.73 months; 20.63% experienced disease progression.
• Higher initial PSA, PSA at procedure, and older age were linked to recurrence (p < 0.05).
• Overall complication rate was 30.16% (low Clavien-Dindo grade); 9.09% required repeat HIFU.

Conclusions:

• Whole-gland HIFU demonstrates comparable short-term oncologic outcomes for selected prostate cancer patients.
• HIFU offers an acceptable complication rate, supporting its role as a minimally invasive option.
• Further prospective studies are needed to standardize surveillance and validate long-term results.