Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. Today, treatment methods are not limited to surgery or radiotherapy affecting the entire prostate; more targeted therapies, aiming for fewer side effects, are increasingly being used. What is focal therapy? Focal therapy is a modern treatment approach that targets only the cancerous area of the prostate, not the entire prostate. The goal is to destroy the diseased tissue while protecting healthy prostate tissue and surrounding structures as much as possible. In this respect, focal therapies can be summarized as "treating the problematic area with pinpoint accuracy" instead of "removing the entire organ." Which patients are suitable for it? Focal therapies are generally a suitable option for:
Patients with early-stage prostate cancer,
Patients whose cancer is confined to the prostate,
Patients in low or moderate risk groups,
Individuals whose tumor location can be clearly determined by MRI and biopsy.
It is not suitable for every patient. Therefore, detailed imaging and biopsy evaluation are very important. What are the focal therapy methods? There are different focal therapy methods. The best known are:
HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound): Destroys cancerous tissue by heating it with sound waves.
Cryotherapy: Kills cancerous cells by freezing them.
Laser or photodynamic therapies: Destroys target tissue with light or heat energy. These methods are generally non-surgical and often do not require long hospital stays.
What are the advantages? The most important advantages of focal therapies are:
Less invasive than surgery
Lower risk of urinary incontinence and loss of sexual function
Shorter recovery time
Faster return to daily life