Ultrasound prostate cancer treatment hailed
Published on 18 April 2012 10:30 AM
A pioneering ultrasound treatment for prostate cancer produces better results and leads to fewer side effects, new research suggests.
Known as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), the cutting-edge procedure has been used for the first time to target areas of cancer that are just millimetres in size.
A study of the technique - also known as focal therapy - was completed on 41 men with results showing that after one year none of the men had incontinence and just one in 10 suffered from poor erections.
As well as avoiding these common side-effects of regular treatment, a total of 95% were free of cancer after the 12-month period.
The research, published in the journal Lancet Oncology, was funded by the Medical Research Council and conducted by experts at University College London (UCL).
Dr Hashim Ahmed, who led the study at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and UCL, said: 'Our results are very encouraging. We're optimistic that men diagnosed with prostate cancer may soon be able to undergo a day case surgical procedure.'
Copyright Press Association 2012