Transurethral microwave thermotherapy v sham treatment: double-blind randomized study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Minimally Invasive Therapies

Background:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common condition affecting aging men.
• Transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) is an established office-based treatment option for BPH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TUMT compared to a sham procedure in a randomized, double-blind study.
• To determine if TUMT's effectiveness is related to a placebo effect or thermal ablation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, 2:1 study involving 115 BPH patients.
• Patients received either active TUMT or a sham treatment.
• Efficacy was assessed using Madsen Symptom Score, peak flow rate, and AUA Symptom Score at 3 months.

Main Results:

• TUMT significantly improved symptom scores and peak flow rates compared to sham treatment (P < 0.001).
• A higher proportion of TUMT patients shifted to the mild symptom category.
• Transient prostate-specific antigen elevation was observed post-TUMT.

Conclusions:

• TUMT provides statistically and clinically significant improvements in BPH symptoms and flow rates.
• The study demonstrates TUMT's efficacy is not placebo-related, suggesting thermal ablation as the mechanism.
• TUMT is an effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia.