Transurethral microwave thermotherapy effectiveness in small prostates

Abstract

Objectives To dispel the misconceptions that patients with small prostates react differently than patients with larger prostates to cooled transurethral microwave thermotherapy. Cooled transurethral microwave thermotherapy has developed into a valid alternative to treat men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, doubts still remain regarding the ability of this office-based technique to treat smaller prostates. Methods A database of 713 men from six previous studies using cooled transurethral microwave thermotherapy devices developed by Urologix were combined for this analysis. The data were analyzed to determine whether the baseline prostate size had a significant effect on American Urological Association Symptom Index, peak flow rate, quality-of-life score, or symptom problem index. Follow-up intervals in this analysis include 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after therapy. Visual analog scale ratings during treatment were also assessed. General linear models and repeated measures analyses were performed. Results Statistical analysis showed no effect of baseline prostate size on treatment outcomes for more than 5 years. Visual analog scale measurements were also not affected by the baseline prostate size. Conclusions Transurethral microwave thermotherapy appears to be as efficacious in treating patients with small prostates as those with large prostates and should be offered as a treatment modality to patients with prostates of all sizes.