New study strengthens evidence for focal therapy as an effective prostate cancer treatment
Imperial College Healthcare Private Care is the private care division of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This article is based on a Trust news story highlighting new research that shows focal therapy is an effective treatment for prostate cancer.
A major study, published in the journal European Urology has strengthened the evidence supporting focal therapy as an effective treatment option for men with localised prostate cancer, including many with intermediate and high-risk disease.
The study, supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructure and a research fellowship, was carried out by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare Trust. It reveals that ten years after focal therapy treatment, only two men out of nearly 3,500 in the study had died from prostate cancer. This very low mortality rate matches prostatectomy surgery and radiotherapy.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is one of the UK's leading centres for focal therapy and, together with Imperial College London, has been recognised as a Focused Ultrasound Centre of Excellence for advancing research, innovation and patient care in this field.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Taimur Shah, consultant urologist and Associate Professor at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said, "Our study now gives clinicians and patients the long-term evidence they have been waiting for. We hope these results will help update the main NICE clinical guidelines so that focal therapy is routinely offered as a first-line choice to men. Men who would like to know whether it might be right for them can ask their urologist about referral to a specialist centre that performs these treatments."
Focal therapy is a targeted and minimally invasive treatment for prostate cancer that destroys only the cancerous part of the prostate and is effective in delivering long term outcomes for patients.
Unlike conventional treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy, focal therapy targets only the cancerous areas of the prostate. This approach can significantly reduce the risk of side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and bowel problems, helping many patients maintain their quality of life after treatment.
The treatment is now available through Imperial College Healthcare Private Care, meaning patients can access focal therapy privately at one of the UK’s leading centres for the treatment.
For more information about focal therapy at Imperial College Healthcare Private Care visit Prostate cancer | Imperial College Healthcare Private Care
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