Purpose of review: Focal laser ablation (FLA) is an emerging treatment paradigm for prostate cancer that aims to successfully eradicate disease while also reducing the risk of side-effects compared with whole-gland therapies.
Recent findings: Preclinical and phase I clinical trials for low-risk prostate cancer have shown that FLA produces accurate, predictable, and reproducible ablation zones with negligible injury to the surrounding tissues. Because FLA is magnetic resonance compatible, the procedure can be monitored with real-time feedback to optimize targeted treatment of cancerous foci and minimize quality-of-life side-effects. The oncologic efficacy of MRI-guided FLA is currently being evaluated in ongoing phase II clinical trials.
Summary: FLA is a well tolerated and feasible therapy for low-risk prostate cancer, and the oncologic efficacy of this treatment modality is currently under investigation in phase II clinical trials at several institutions.