VIENNA, AUSTRIA [TAC] – — A new, highly precise method using focused ultrasound has successfully treated early-stage prostate cancer while allowing patients to maintain their urinary and sexual function, according to a recent Austrian clinical study.
The technique, known as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), offers a promising alternative to traditional whole-gland removal surgery or radiation therapy, which often lead to side effects like erectile dysfunction or difficulty urinating.
The study from Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, is the first prospective, multicenter trial in Austria to evaluate this organ-preserving approach.
Unlike standard treatments that remove or irradiate the entire prostate gland, HIFU is a focal therapy that targets and destroys only the cancerous tissue. Using MRI and real-time ultrasound guidance, doctors precisely heat and ablate (destroy) the tumor with millimeter accuracy, leaving the healthy parts of the prostate intact.
Dr. Gábor Rosta and Prof. Dr. Harun Fajkovic, researchers in the study, explained the benefit: “Instead of removing or irradiating the entire gland, we treat only the diseased part… Our results show that this focused approach can effectively control cancer in selected patients while significantly reducing the side effects.”
The results were highly encouraging. After two years, more than 94 percent of patients required no further cancer treatment. One year after the procedure, follow-up biopsies showed over 80 percent had no viable tumor tissue remaining.
Erectile function, which initially dipped slightly after the procedure, fully recovered within 6–12 months and even exceeded baseline levels after two years.
Patients who started with good urinary function maintained it, and those with pre-existing issues often saw marked improvement. Moreover, there were no severe complications reported. Adverse effects were mild and temporary.
Shift Toward Personalized Care
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. While HIFU has previously been considered experimental, the new data provides necessary evidence to support its use.
Researchers believe the findings point toward a paradigm shift in treatment, moving toward personalized, organ-preserving tumor therapies.
The authors note that while the method can be safely integrated into clinical routine for carefully selected patients, longer-term monitoring and more extensive randomized trials are still needed before HIFU is added to official treatment guidelines.
