Does focal laser ablation improve outcomes in the long-term for patients with prostate cancer?

The study aimed to understand the long-term outcomes of focal laser therapy (FLT) in patients with prostate cancer. The study showed that this treatment has long-term survival without recurrence in certain patients.  

Surgical removal of the prostate gland is often recommended as a treatment for prostate cancer. However, after surgery, many patients experience urinary, sexual, and gastrointestinal problems. Minimal invasive techniques that target the tumor only are being evaluated to reduce side effects and improve quality of life.

Focal laser ablation (FLA) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat targeted at the tumor to destroy it. It has shown good outcomes in patients with prostate cancer up to 2 years of follow-up. However, longer-term outcomes are still lacking regarding its effectiveness and safety in these patients. 

36 men who underwent FLA for localized prostate cancer were enrolled in the study. 30 men were followed up for 5 years to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. 

83% of men were free from treatment failure over a 71.5-month follow-up. 40 % of these men developed cancer recurrence at the same site. These men underwent additional treatments following recurrence including FLA, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU – kills cancer cells using high-frequency sound waves), and cryotherapy (uses extreme cold to kill cancer cells).

Overall, 5 patients failed treatment and underwent salvage whole gland treatment. No patient died of prostate cancer.

The study concluded that FLA has good long-term outcomes in certain patients with localized prostate cancer. 

The study population was very small. Also, the side effects of the treatment were not evaluated in this study. There was no comparison treatment group. Further larger studies are needed.