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Prostate cancer

High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy: effects on urinary and erectile function and quality of life

Nature Reviews Urology volume 7, page 531 (2010)Cite this article

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...HIFU therapy seems to be comparable or superior to other minimally invasive treatments...

Several minimally invasive treatments for patients with localized prostate cancer have been developed with the aim of avoiding the risks associated with open surgery. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy employs a targeted ultrasound beam that causes heat-induced coagulative necrosis of the tumor without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue and while minimizing the risk of damage to the neurovascular bundles. HIFU has been shown to be oncologically effective, but its effects on quality of life (QOL), particularly relating to urinary and erectile function, are also important to patients who are considering their treatment options. Results of a Japanese prospective study suggest that the QOL outcomes following HIFU therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer are comparable to or better than those for other minimally invasive modalities.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Shoji, S. et al. Quality of life following high-intensity focused ultrasound for the treatment of localized prostate cancer: a prospective study. Int. J. Urol. 17, 715–719 (2010)

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  1. Nick Warde
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Warde, N. High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy: effects on urinary and erectile function and quality of life. Nat Rev Urol 7, 531 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2010.148

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2010.148

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