Cryotherapy and high intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer

doi:10.1136/bmj.a2540

Published 1 December 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2540
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2540

Editorials

Cryotherapy and high intensity focused ultrasound for prostate cancer

More evidence is needed before they can be recommended for widespreaduse

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Men with prostate cancer and their healthcare professionalsare faced with several options for treating the primary tumourat the time of diagnosis and any recurrence. Newer treatmentssuch as cryotherapy and high intensity focused ultrasound areavailable in some centres in the United Kingdom and have enthusiasticadvocates.

In 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE) issued guidance on cryotherapy and ultrasound treatmentsaying that "the current evidence on efficacy and safety" seemed"adequate to support their use" in patients with prostate cancer.¹² But in 2008, NICE published clinical guidelines on prostatecancer which stated that these treatments "are not recommendedfor men with localised prostate cancer other than in the contextof controlled clinical trials comparing their use with establishedinterventions."³ This apparent change of heart caused concernamong urologists and even reached the national press.⁴ However,the advice was not really inconsistent—NICE deemed these. . . [Full text of this article]