Treating prostate cancer through traditional means such as surgery or radiotherapy carries certain risks, with some patients experiencing impotence, urinary problems, and bowel trouble, among other unwanted side effects.
Now, a new procedure using ultrasound techniques may soon be available to treat prostate cancer with minimal side effects and without making a single incision. It involves using specific doses of sound waves that target, heat, and destroy problematic prostate tissue.
The technique was recently put to the test in a study of 115 participants with a median age of 65 and has shown promising results. After a year of treatment, prostate volume was reduced from 39 cubic centimeters to less than 4 centimeters. On top of that, 80 percent of study participants saw their clinically significant cancer eliminated while 65 percent had no evidence whatsoever of cancer.
The breakthrough is crucial to medical research since prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, potentially allowing tens of thousands of men to get treatment while avoiding unwanted side effects.
