Focal laser thermocoagulation for localized prostate cancer

Focal therapy involving destruction of prostate specific region containing a clinically meaningful tumor is a new treatment for prostate cancer. Despite the absence of long-term results of applying this method of treatment, there are prerequisites that allow to consider focal therapy as a method with a lower risk of side effects typical of conventional treatment. Focal laser thermocoagulation is a developing technique with a number of advantages, the most important of which is the ability to perform the treatment under the real-time magnetic resonance imaging control. This review describes the principles of laser thermocoagulation, and presents the data of already published clinical studies, as well as the eligibility criteria for focal laser thermocoagulation of prostate cancer. The prospects of development of the method are discussed.