Prostate cancer is a common malignancy affecting men worldwide, and intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa) presents a challenging treatment scenario. MRI-guided focal therapy (FT) has emerged as a promising approach, allowing for targeted treatment while preserving healthy prostate tissue. However, long-term outcomes of this technique remain underexplored.
A recent study aimed to evaluate the 2-year oncological and functional outcomes of men with localized unifocal intermediate-risk PCa treated with MRI-guided FT. This study was published in the journal Radiology by Sangeet G. and colleagues.

In this single-center prospective phase II trial, 44 participants with intermediate-risk PCa underwent transrectal MRI-guided focused ultrasound between July 2016 and July 2019. Treatment success, adverse events, oncological outcomes, and quality-of-life measures were assessed over a 2-year follow-up period. Multiparametric MRI and biopsies were performed at 24 months to evaluate treatment response.
Key Findings:
• Treatment was successfully completed in all 44 participants, with no major adverse events recorded.
• After 2 years, 91% of participants had no clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) at the treatment site, and 84% had no cancer in the entire gland.
• There were no significant changes in quality-of-life measures, including International Index of Erectile Function-15 score and International Prostate Symptom Score, during the 2-year follow-up period.
This study demonstrates promising 2-year outcomes of MRI-guided FT for intermediate-risk PCa. The majority of participants had negative results for csPCa at biopsy, and there was no significant decline in quality of life. These findings support the potential efficacy and safety of MRI-guided FT as a treatment option for intermediate-risk PCa. Further research with longer follow-up periods is warranted to confirm these results and assess the durability of treatment response.
Reference:
Ghai, S., Finelli, A., Corr, K., Lajkosz, K., McCluskey, S., Chan, R., Gertner, M., van der Kwast, T. H., Incze, P. F., Zlotta, A. R., Kucharczyk, W., & Perlis, N. MRI-guided focused ultrasound focal therapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer: Final results from a 2-year phase II clinical trial. Radiology,2024;310(3). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.231473