Therapeutic Areas

While freezing the diseased tissue (cryotherapy) is currently the method most often used for focal treatment of prostate cancer, we are closely evaluating other strategies and methods that may prove very useful:

• High Intensity Focused Ultrasound or HIFU – This is a non-invasive, out patient, ablative technique that destroys disease tissue with heat and may become a standard tool in our future armamentarium.

•  Nano-Knife or electroporation – Using electric current this technology has the potential to allow the surgeon great control over the ‘kill zone’ resulting in maximum tumor death while minimizing collateral damage and the resulting injury to viable prostate tissue. This trial is scheduled to begin later in 2010.

• Laser – Using the [insert type of laser] laser we have begun to demonstrate the efficacy of this modality in focal prostate therapy.

• HDR and Tomo Therapy –

Our urologic oncology research group works to obtain access to a variety of clinical trials for our patients -- approximately 100 urologic oncology patients enroll in research protocols each year through our clinic. Recent clinical trials in prostate cancer have included investigations of Provenge, Abiraterone acetate, MDV3100 and Cabazitaxel to name a few.