A new study in Austria has shown that a special ultrasound treatment can effectively control early prostate cancer while helping men keep their quality of life.
This method targets only the part of the prostate that has cancer, instead of treating the whole gland. The study found that most men had good cancer control, and problems like trouble urinating or sexual issues were mostly avoided.
The research, published in the journal Cancers, was done at three hospitals under the coordination of Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences (KL Krems). It is the first clinical study of this kind in Austria, and the results show that this focused treatment could be a good alternative to surgery or radiation for certain patients.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. Traditional treatments like removing the prostate or using radiation often work, but they can lead to problems such as urinary issues or erectile dysfunction.
The new treatment, called focal therapy, works differently. It uses high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to heat and destroy just the part of the prostate with cancer. This is done with the help of MRI scans and real-time ultrasound images to guide the treatment very precisely.
Until now, this approach was considered experimental because there was not enough clinical data. But this study provides strong support for using it in selected patients.
Between 2021 and 2024, 51 men with early-stage prostate cancer were treated using this method. They had regular PSA blood tests, MRI scans, and follow-up biopsies for two years.
The results were very positive: after two years, over 94% of the men did not need any more treatment. In most cases, no active cancer cells were found in biopsies one year after the procedure. PSA levels dropped by 69% in the first three months and stayed low.
Side effects were mild. Around 20% of men had short-term urinary symptoms like needing to urinate more often, but there were no serious complications.
The men’s overall health and quality of life were also studied. Sexual function, which dropped slightly after treatment, fully returned in six to twelve months. In fact, two years later, their scores were even better than before the treatment.
Men who already had problems with urination saw improvement, while others maintained their good function. General health and well-being scores stayed stable.
These results match earlier findings from other countries but are the first of their kind in Austria. The researchers say that this focused ultrasound treatment can be safely added to hospital care for prostate cancer patients—as long as the right patients are chosen and the procedure is done with precision.
They also point out that more research with longer follow-up and comparisons to other treatments is needed before this method can be officially recommended in medical guidelines. Still, the results show that we may be moving toward a new way of treating cancer—by using methods that protect healthy tissue and reduce side effects.
The study is also part of KL Krems’s mission to improve health through advanced research and to make treatments more personal and less invasive.
If you care about prostate cancer, please read studies about 5 types of bacteria linked to aggressive prostate cancer, and new strategy to treat advanced prostate cancer.
For more information about prostate cancer, please see recent studies about new way to lower risk of prostate cancer spread, and results showing three-drug combo boosts survival in metastatic prostate cancer.
