Prostate Ablation
September 08, 2026About the speakers
Information
- ID
- 14473
- To Cite
- DCA Citation Guide
Transcript
- 00:05So ablation is using energy
- 00:07of some form to destroy
- 00:09tissue. In this case, we're
- 00:11talking about prostate ablation, so
- 00:12we use different types of
- 00:14energy. Could be heat, cold.
- 00:16We actually use electricity as
- 00:18well to destroy prostate tissue,
- 00:20usually prostate cancer.
- 00:22Because we use imaging guidance,
- 00:25we're able to place the
- 00:26probes or target the tissue
- 00:28in a very precise manner
- 00:30and
- 00:31destroy only the tumor and
- 00:32the surrounding tissue,
- 00:34but we're able to spare
- 00:36other structures that we don't
- 00:38want to damage.
- 00:39This is in contrast to
- 00:41whole prostate therapies like prostatectomy
- 00:44or surgery where we are
- 00:45removing the entire prostate or
- 00:47radiation therapy which is traditionally
- 00:49done to the entire prostate
- 00:50with a margin of treatment
- 00:51even outside the prostate.
- 00:54So doing a subtotal treatment
- 00:56where we are able to
- 00:57target the
- 00:58prostate cancer primarily
- 01:00with a safety margin around
- 01:02that
- 01:03really allows for preservation of
- 01:05function or the least possible
- 01:07damage to a man's urinary
- 01:10function, sexual function, bowel function
- 01:12that we can achieve,
- 01:14with a prostate cancer treatment.
- 01:19The three different technologies that
- 01:21we have currently at Yale
- 01:23are Tulsa,
- 01:25which uses
- 01:26high intensity ultrasound waves. We're
- 01:28able to heat the prostate
- 01:30tissue from the inside out.
- 01:32Cryoablation
- 01:33is sort of the opposite.
- 01:34It uses cold energy
- 01:36to similarly destroy the cells.
- 01:38And then IRE or Irreversible
- 01:41Electroporation
- 01:42uses electricity, and it actually
- 01:44passes electricity between a couple
- 01:46small needles,
- 01:47and that
- 01:48results in cell lysis or
- 01:50the death of the cells.
- 01:52There are highlights to each
- 01:54of these. These. Right? Tulsa
- 01:56probably of any ablation technology
- 01:58out there currently has the
- 02:00best treatment planning, treatment monitoring
- 02:03in real time and ability.
- 02:04To target certain areas of
- 02:06the prostate avoiding damage to
- 02:08other areas,
- 02:09and effectively treat cancer.
- 02:12Cryoablation,
- 02:13we know, is very effective,
- 02:15and it can be used
- 02:16in certain anatomical locations more
- 02:18easily than others and can
- 02:20be done quickly.
- 02:21And then IRE
- 02:23for people that are very
- 02:24concerned about preserving their erectile
- 02:26function,
- 02:27it seems to have the
- 02:28least impact on that.
- 02:30So those are kind of
- 02:31the highlights that allow us
- 02:33to really provide the top
- 02:35level care.
- 02:37At Yale, we understand that
- 02:40prostate cancer treatment options
- 02:42should be individualized to a
- 02:43patient.
- 02:45It's always really important to
- 02:47take into consideration
- 02:49factors that contribute to a
- 02:50patient's prostate cancer risk. But
- 02:52it's also really important to
- 02:54take into account their
- 02:56personal preferences,
- 02:57their individual anatomy,
- 02:59and being able to offer
- 03:01this treatment,
- 03:03to patients who have intermediate
- 03:05risk prostate cancer and
- 03:08wish to avoid surgery or
- 03:10radiation, but also are uncomfortable
- 03:12with
- 03:13just being on active surveillance
- 03:15alone.
- 03:16This is an important treatment
- 03:17option that fills a gap.
- 03:19We know that ablation therapies
- 03:20are safe.
- 03:22They are not without risks,
- 03:24but they are safe, and
- 03:25on average have fewer side
- 03:27effects
- 03:28than we would see with
- 03:29surgery or see with radiation.
- 03:31We know from a couple
- 03:31of trials that we actually
- 03:33have been involved in here
- 03:35at Yale
- 03:36that this treatment is in
- 03:37fact effective
- 03:39at cancer control and also
- 03:41effective at avoiding or lowering
- 03:43risk of urinary and sexual
- 03:45side effects.
- 03:46I think it provides patients
- 03:47who
- 03:49are motivated
- 03:50to maintain their quality of
- 03:52life,
- 03:53an opportunity to pursue therapies
- 03:55that are not as damaging
- 03:57to their,
- 03:59way of life and often
- 04:00their psychological
- 04:02sense of self.