What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 101 patients with prostate cancer. The study was sponsored by InSightec and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was mid-stage testing (phase 2/3). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
88% of men had no cancer in the treated area two years after a single ultrasound treatment.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2022 · NCT01657942
These findings — that nearly 9 in 10 men showed no cancer in the treated prostate area two years later — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 101 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with prostate cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was a mid-stage study testing whether focused ultrasound could treat prostate cancer without removing the entire prostate. The results are promising, but this specific approach is not yet widely available as a standard treatment. If you have intermediate-risk prostate cancer, ask your doctor whether you might qualify for a clinical trial testing focal treatments or what standard options are best for you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open prostate cancer trials
Access to Genetic Testing in Underserved Patients With Cancer
This study compares the experiences of people who receive information about genetic testing from a computer-generated character to patients who receive information from a human genetics healthcare provider. Patients with cancer are increasingly recommended for genetic testing as standard of care. Multiple factors contribute to low usage of genetic testing but for many patients the lack of access to genetic counseling and testing is an important and flexible factor. Lack of access is especially relevant to racial/ethnic minority patients and those living in non-metropolitan rural settings who are frequently cared for at safety-net hospitals with limited genetics services. Alternative delivery models are necessary to improve rates of access to genetic testing in patients with cancer. Health information technology is under used by genetics providers. A patient-facing relational agent (PERLA) will provide pre-test genetics education in both English and Spanish across two clinical settings to facilitate more timely access to genetic testing. Using the PERLA intervention may help researchers learn different ways to provide education about genetic testing to patients with cancer compared to usual care.
Utrecht Prostate Cohort for Cancer Treatment Intervention Studies and Long-term Evaluation
Rationale: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men worldwide. Survival rates are high due to the typically non-aggressive nature of disease and effective treatments. Radical treatments such as surgery and radiotherapy often cause toxicity and long term side effects. Based on current available literature, the choice for primary therapy for clinically localised prostate cancer has a negative impact on cancer-specific quality of life (QOL). New interventional treatments are being developed. The investigators aim to build a multidisciplinary prostate cancer cohort which will serve as a multi-trial facility for interventional treatment studies. The Trials within Cohorts (TwiCs) design, also known as cohort multiple Randomized Controlled Trial design (cmRCT) will be conducted and as a prospective registry for assessment of long-term safety, performance and effectiveness new treatment interventions. Objective: To set up a cohort that will serve as a multi-trial platform and facilitate evaluation of new interventional treatment for prostate cancer. Study design: Observational, prospective cohort study, according to the 'Trials within Cohorts' (TwiCs) design. Study population: All patients with newly diagnosed histologically proven prostate cancer. Main study parameters/endpoints: Clinical parameters (e.g. co-morbidity, oncological history, symptoms, imaging, technical and treatment data), clinical endpoints (e.g. toxicity, and survival outcomes) and patient reported outcomes (e.g. QOL).