A new, minimally invasive procedure to treat prostate cancer has been performed for the first time at the London Health Sciences Center.
The new treatment for men with localized prostate cancer was developed with the hospital’s Lawson Health Research Institute.
The ‘transurethral magnetic resonance guided ultrasound ablation’ allows for treatment to be performed in one session and with greater accuracy.
Dr. Joseph Chin, chief of surgical oncology at LHSC, said in a statement “This represents significant advance in the management of prostate cancer…Magnetic resonance image guidance allows us to target prostate tissue, using ultrasound energy without harming healthy tissue outside the prostate.”
Other forms of treatment, like radiation therapy and surgery, are effective but can leave men with long-term complications.
The world first was done as part of a clinical trial involving 30 patients approved by Health Canada to evaluate its safety and feasibility.
The long-term effectiveness and side effects of the treatment will continue to be monitored in those patients for the next five years.
Chin added “We hope the clinical trial will show that this system can provide an effective and minimally invasive treatment for localized prostate cancer, with minimal side effects.”
He explains the procedure in this YouTube video from LHSC:
