Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant health concern globally, necessitating effective treatment options. Typical treatment methods for early stage, particularly localized PCa, encompass radical procedures, such as radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiotherapy (RT), and nonradical focal therapy (FT). FT is a focused approach mainly used for treating small lesions limited to a specific zone of the prostate. Its objective is to achieve cancer control when minimizing damage to benign tissue. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is one of the most used modalities in FT for the management of PCa. The progress in HIFU technology showcases continuous advancements, offering clinicians a variety of strategies to cater to diverse patient requirements. The advancements include the development of transrectal and transurethral HIFU machines that offer enhanced treatment distances, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion capabilities, real-time monitoring, and precise ablation. These improvements contribute to increased treatment effectiveness and better outcomes for patients. This narrative review aims to summarize the use of HIFU technology and its evolution, offering diverse options to clinicians, and explores the safety, effectiveness, and quality of different HIFU strategies, such as whole-gland ablation, hemigland ablation, and focal ablation. We conclude that nonwhole-gland HIFU offers similar cancer control with better short-term functional outcomes and fewer complications compared to whole-gland ablation. Combining HIFU with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) improves urinary function and reduces catheterization time. Focal ablation and hemigland ablation show promise in achieving cancer control when preserving continence and potency.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation/methods* ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal/methods* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: There is no reported evidence for an anthropometric index that might link obesity to men's sexual health. We evaluated the ability of an anthropometric index and the symptom scores of five widely used questionnaires to detect men's health problems. We determined the predictive abilities of two obesity indexes and other clinical parameters for screening for lower urinary tract symptoms and sexual dysfunction in middle-aged men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1,910 middle-aged men were included in the study. Participants underwent a detailed clinical evaluation that included recording the symptom scores of five widely used questionnaires. The participants' body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were determined. Serum prostate-specific antigen, urinalysis, testosterone, estimated glomerular filtration rate, evaluation of metabolic syndrome, and transrectal ultrasonography were assessed. RESULTS: By use of logistic regression analysis, age and total prostate volume were independent predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms. Metabolic syndrome was the only significant negative predictive factor for chronic prostatitis symptoms. Age and metabolic syndrome were independent predictive factors for erectile dysfunction. Waist-to-hip ratio had a statistically significant value for predicting erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that total prostate volume is a significant predictor of lower urinary tract symptoms, and central obesity has predictive ability for erectile dysfunction. Metabolic syndrome was the only significant negative predictive factor for chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. The management of correctable factors such as waist-to-hip ratio and metabolic syndrome may be considered preventive modalities against the development of men's health problems.
Aging ; *Body Mass Index ; Erectile Dysfunction/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/diagnosis ; Male ; *Men's Health ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; Organ Size ; Prognosis ; Prostate/*ultrasonography ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood ; Prostatitis/*diagnosis ; Testosterone/blood ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal ; *Waist-Hip Ratio

Infectious complications after transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) appear to be increasing, which reflects the high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Enterobacteriaceae. Identifying patients at high risk for antibiotic resistance with history taking is an important initial step. Targeted prophylaxis with a prebiopsy rectal swab culture or augmented antibiotic prophylaxis can be considered for patients at high risk of antibiotic resistance. If infectious complications are suspected, the presence of urosepsis should be evaluated and adequate antibiotic treatment should be started immediately.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Biopsy/*adverse effects ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli Infections/drug therapy/*prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate/*pathology ; *Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal ; Urinary Tract Infections/*drug therapy/microbiology

Early prostate cancers are best detected with transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided core biopsy of the prostate. Due to increased longevity and improved prostate cancer screening, more men are now subjected to TRUS-guided biopsy. To improve the detection rate of early prostate cancer, the current trend is to increase the number of cores obtained. The significant pain associated with the biopsy procedure is usually neglected in clinical practice. Although it is currently underutilized, the periprostatic nerve block is an effective technique to mitigate pain associated with prostate biopsy. This article reviews contemporary issues pertaining to pain during prostate biopsy and discusses the practical aspects of periprostatic nerve block.
*Biopsy, Needle ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Male ; *Nerve Block ; Pain Measurement ; Prostate/anatomy & histology/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Holmium: yttrium-aluminium-garnet (YAG) laser for the treatment of urethral/bladder neck strictures after high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer. METHODS: Between February 2007 and July 2010, Holmium: YAG laser urethrotomies were performed in eleven patients for bladder neck strictures or prostatic urethral strictures. The laser was used with a 550-microm fiber at 2 J and frequency 30 to 50 Hz. The medical records were retrospectively reviewed for medical history, perioperative and postoperative data, uroflowmetry, International Prostate Symptoms Score/quality of life, and stricture recurrence. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 12.0 months (range, 4 to 35 months), the mean postoperative maximal flow rate and residual volume were improved significantly (P<0.05). The mean postoperative total, voiding and quality of life of international prostate symptom score were improved significantly (P<0.05). Of the 11 patients, 7 patients required one treatment, 4 patients two treatment, and 1 patients three treatment. 2 patients who had a documented urinary incontinence prior to the laser treatment subsequently required artificial urinary sphincter implantation and reported satisfaction without developing any recurrent strictures or artificial urinary sphincter erosion. All patients exhibited well-healed strictures and could void without difficulty. CONCLUSIONS: Holmium: YAG laser therapy represents a safe, effective and minimally invasive treatment for urethral/bladder neck strictures occurring secondary to high-intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Holmium ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Medical Records ; Neck ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Quality of Life ; Residual Volume ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal ; Urethral Stricture ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Sphincter, Artificial

OBJECTIVETo study on the efficacy, prognosis and security of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSTotally 72 HCC patients treated by HIFU from December 2009 to January 2011 were divided into two groups according to treatment methods: 40 cases in HIFU group, 32 cases in TACE + HIFU treatment group (combined group). Then set up a control group include 40 cases treated by only TACE in the same period (TACE group). The improvement of clinical symptoms, AFP, reduce rate of tumor volume, survival rate of 1 year after operation and postoperative complications in front and behind the treatment were analyzed.

RESULTSThere was no significant statistical difference on the improvement of clinical symptoms in all these three groups (P > 0.05) after treatment for HCC. There is no significant statistical difference also on reduce rate of tumor volume and decrease rate of AFP in both HIFU group (35.0%, 41.4%) and TACE group (37.5%, 41.9%) (χ² = 0.054, P = 0.816; χ² = 0.002, P = 0.965). Both reduce rate of tumor volume (62.5%) and decrease rate of AFP (72.0%) in combined group were better than HIFU group (χ² = 5.394, P = 0.020; χ² = 5.098, P = 0.024) and TACE group (37.5%, 41.9%) (χ² = 4.448, P = 0.035; χ² = 5.062, P = 0.024). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that there was no significant statistical difference on short-term survival rate in the 3 groups. But the long-term survival rate of combined group was better than TACE group and HIFU group.

CONCLUSIONTACE combined with HIFU is a effective, safe and noninvasive treatment method to HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal

OBJECTIVE: To improve the diagnostic efficacy of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided targeted prostatic biopsies, we have suggested the use of a new scoring system for the prediction of malignancies regarding the characteristics of focal suspicious lesions as depicted on TRUS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 350 consecutive patients with or without prostate cancer who underwent targeted biopsies for 358 lesions were included in the study. The data obtained from participants were randomized into two groups; the training set (n = 240) and the test set (n = 118). The characteristics of focal suspicious lesions were evaluated for the training set and the correlation between TRUS findings and the presence of a malignancy was analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables capable of predicting prostatic cancer. A scoring system that used a 5-point scale for better malignancy prediction was determined from the training set. Positive predictive values for malignancy prediction and the diagnostic accuracy of the scored components with the use of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were evaluated by test set analyses. RESULTS: Subsequent multiple logistic regression analysis determined that shape, margin irregularity, and vascularity were factors significantly and independently associated with the presence of a malignancy. Based on the use of the scoring system for malignancy prediction derived from the significant TRUS findings and the interactions of characteristics, a positive predictive value of 80% was achieved for a score of 4 when applied to the test set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the overall lesion score was 0.81. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that a scoring system for malignancy prediction developed for the characteristics of focal suspicious lesions as depicted on TRUS can help predict the outcome of TRUS-guided biopsies.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Area Under Curve ; Biopsy/methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prostate/ultrasonography ; Prostatic Neoplasms/classification/*diagnosis/*ultrasonography ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal/*methods

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), serial studies were conducted in 150 BPH patients before and 30 min, 1, 2, 6 and 12 month(s) after Sonablate-500 HIFU treatment. A silicon-coated indwelling 16F latex catheter was placed during the determination of the therapy zone. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations were made by using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL), uroflowmetric findings and transrectal ultrasound, and incidence of complications. The cystourethrography was done in 23 patients within 1 year postoperatively. The results showed that after HIFU treatment, IPSS and QOL scores were significantly decreased at 1, 2, 6 and 12 month(s) (P<0.01). Maximum urine flow rate (6.0 to 17.2 mL/s, P<0.01), PVR (75.0 to 30.3, P<0.01) and prostatic volume (65.0 to 38.1 mL, P<0.05) were significantly improved 12 months after the operation. Recurrent urinary retention (n=2) and urethrorectal fistula (n=1) occurred at the 15(th) postoperative day. The duration of the HIFU prostate ablation was 25-90 min. The mean time for an indwelling catheter was 3-19 days. These data demonstrate that treatment of BPH with Sonablate-500 HIFU is safe and effective.
Prostatic Hyperplasia/diagnosis ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/*therapy ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal/adverse effects ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal/instrumentation ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal/*methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSA total of 57 PCa patients, 27 localized and 30 advanced, underwent transrectal HIFU with the Sonab- late 500, the localized group treated by transrectal HIFU only, while the advanced group by transrectal HIFU combined with androgen ablation.

RESULTSFor the HIFU treatment, the mean operating time, hospital stay and follow-up were 111 mm (ranging from 86 to 153 mm), 3.2 days (ranging from 2 to 18 days) and 18 months (ranging from 6 to 30 months), respectively. The biochemical disease-free rates at 1, 2 and 3 years in the localized group were 86%, 81% and 79%, respectively. While in the advanced group, the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) was < 4.0 microg/L in 26 cases ( < 0.51 microg/L in 20) and the prostate volume decreased more than 50% in 21 cases after treated for an average of 8 months (ranging from 3 to 24 months). After transrectal HIFU prostate ablation, the prostate volume reduced, serum PSA lowered, Qmax raised and IPSS improved significantly (P < 0.05). No serious complications occurred including severe urethrorectal fistula and incontinence.

CONCLUSIONTransrectal HIFU is a safe, effective and minimally invasive therapy for patients with prostate cancer.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal

According to the hardware characters of the high intensive focused ultrasound (HIFU) serial-parallel robots, this paper presents an algorithm of 2-grade interpolation scheme which includes the rough and fine interpolations. Both pre-acceleration and post-acceleration are employed to meet the restrictive requirements of coordinated dynamic performance and the detailed procedure of the interpolation algorithm is given too.
Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Computer Simulation ; Equipment Design ; Humans ; Robotics ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal ; instrumentation ; methods