Focal therapy for prostate cancer can preserve potency

Nearly two-hundred-thousand American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer
each year.

And treatments like radiation and surgery often target the entire prostate, even when only part of the gland is cancerous. Aggressive treatment can result in urinary incontinence or loss of potency in some men.

But Duke University Medical Center experts say a pinpointed new surgery called focal therapy is effective in targeting only the cancerous portion of the prostate, sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Dr. Thomas Polascik

These days theres some concern that many Americans are overtreated for prostate cancer when they may not need such aggressive treatment. So this is a way to preserve bodily functions—most notably continence and potency while attempting to control the cancer.

During focal therapy, the cancerous part of the prostate is treated with cryotherapy, which kills cancer cells by freezing them. The rest of the prostate is left untreated, preserving its function.

One of the benefits of focal therapy is that it can be repeated and what may happen in the future is we may transform prostate cancer into a chronic disease. In other words, if a patient is treated and then has a recurrence many years down the road, that treatment can be repeated.

Doctors say biopsies are periodically needed after therapy to be sure untreated sections of the prostate remain cancer-free.

A recent analysis by Duke surgeons found continence is maintained in nearly 98% of patients who receive focal therapy, and up to 90% of patients maintain potency.

About one in five patients with prostate cancer may be candidates for focal therapy. At the Duke University Medical Center, Im Mike Garrison

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