Focal therapy has emerged as an exciting option for men with localized, intermediate-risk prostate cancer. There are now many options for selectively ablating prostate tissue including transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA), high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), irreversible electroporation (IRE), and cryotherapy. The goal of focal therapy is to destroy the cancer, while preserving quality of life by reducing the side effects associated with whole-gland treatment i.e. surgery or radiation such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
While the benefits of focal therapy are promising, many urologists may be hesitant to adopt it in their practice because they are not confident in the quality of their imaging and interpretation. In order to provide effective focal therapy, physicians must be able to see what they are treating. “If you can see it you can treat it” and “you can’t treat what you can’t see” are some of the common phrases used by thought leaders in focal therapy around the world. Herein lies the challenge.
Even with exciting new advancements 3D MRI-Ultrasound fusion biopsy and AI, there is still a lot of uncertainty in both selecting the appropriate candidates for focal therapy as well as planning margins for treatment to achieve maximum oncologic control. When focal therapy fails, we can rarely say for sure that it was because the tissue was inadequately treated i.e. not enough energy was delivered, not enough tissue was treated i.e. the margins were not big enough, or if there was other clinically significant disease outside of the treatment zone i.e. a failure in patient-selection.
OnQ Prostate provides a new level of clarity and an additional safety net by implementing Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI) into clinical practice. RSI improves visibility and delineation of lesions on MRI, making it easier to see and evaluate disease extent since standard prostate MRI is known to have suboptimal specificity and underestimate tumor volume. Having this more advanced tool helps focal therapists more confidently select patients for focal therapy and plan margins for treatment. It also alleviates common pain points associated with radiology inter-reader variability and difficulty adapting images for use with focal therapy. OnQ Prostate’s compatibility with planning software systems such as Koelis Trinity and Focal One HIFUsion allows users to easily incorporate RSI into their treatment strategy.
OnQ Prostate supports the focal therapy community in their mission to personalize prostate cancer care for their patients while minimizing the risks. Ultimately, higher quality imaging unlocks the potential for more informed clinical decisions and more precise procedures, all with the patient at the center. Together we will continue to elevate the standard of care for men faced with this disease.
