Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41002546›Full record

ArticleCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2025

Focal Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Case Series with Cost Analysis.

Maxwell Sandberg, David Thole, Jackson Nowatzke, Gavin Underwood, Emily Ye, Soroush Rais-Bahrami, Ronald Davis, Alejandro Rodriguez

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Maxwell SandbergDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2880-1857
David TholeDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-4404-0606
Jackson NowatzkeDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.
Gavin UnderwoodDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.
Emily YeDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.
Soroush Rais-BahramiDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9466-9925
Ronald DavisDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.
Alejandro RodriguezDepartment of Urology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27101, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Focal therapy for prostate cancer (PCa) provides approaches to treat PCa patients in a less invasive manner than traditional whole-gland surgical or radiation modalities. This manuscript provides a case series of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryoablation, and irreversible electroporation (IRE) for PCa at a single institution and cost analysis with a review of the literature. All patients who underwent HIFU, cryoablation, or IRE for localized PCa were retrospectively reviewed, excluding patients who received whole-gland therapy. Functional outcomes were erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms. Cost data were collected. A total of 45 patients were included in the study with focal therapy ranging from 2023 to 2025 (4 HIFU, 20 cryoablation, 21 IRE). A total of 30 patients had focally treated lesions, and 15 patients had hemi-gland treatment. The mean preoperative PSA was 7.7 ng/mL. On the paired sample t-test, there was no significant difference between pre-focal and post-focal therapy PSA. Three patients experienced biochemical recurrence requiring prostate biopsy after focal treatment. Mean cost was USD 3804.50 and not significantly different by focal treatment. No metastatic events occurred nor deaths at a median follow-up of 6 months. Patients in this series had largely unaltered functional outcomes. Cost analysis in contemporary publications is lacking. Although follow-up was short, cancer control was adequate.

Indexed as

CryosurgeryProstatic NeoplasmsAgedCosts and Cost AnalysisHigh-Intensity Focused Ultrasound AblationHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiescryoablationfocalHIFUIREprostate cancer

Identifiers

PMID41002546
PMCPMC12468211

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.