MRI-guided laser ablation precisely targets prostate tumors
A new MRI-guided intervention has proven safe and efficacious in men with prostate cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Urology and publicized by UCLA Health June 10.
In the Phase 1 study, senior researcher Leonard Marks, MD, and colleagues used MR to find their way into prostate tumors, then used focal laser ablation—i.e., precisely aimed heat—to destroy cancerous tissue in eight men while sparing their healthy surrounding prostate tissue.
Six months later, the patients had no serious adverse effects or changes in urinary or sexual function.
And last month, the team presented a poster on an 11-patient follow-up study at a meeting of the American Urology Association showing the potential to use the treatment in clinical practice, according to the UCLA newsroom.
While not yet approved by the FDA, the procedure may soon provide “a middle ground for men to choose between radical prostatectomy and active surveillance, between doing nothing and losing the prostate,” says Marks.
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Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.