TULSA had a very favorable side-effect profile compared to alternative surgical, radiation and thermal therapy (US guided HIFU or cryotherapy) showing that by 5 years, 92% of patients recovered continence and 87% preserved erectile function. During the study, 115 men were enrolled across 13 sites in 5 countries. Of those treated, 25 men received follow up conventional treatment with surgery or radiation because of residual or new tumors. Through this process, researchers learned the early predictors of TULSA failure related to calcifications between the urethra and target PCa and better monitoring of prostate swelling, targeting and misalignment, leading to improved detection and management of these preventable errors during the procedure.

Dr. Raman noted that the study affirms that interventional radiologists (IRs) now have a meaningful role in detection and management of prostate cancer care as they already had in other types of cancer, such as lung, kidney and liver cancers. He said IRs’ expertise in imaging and image-guided procedures and experience with ablation make them a critical part of the prostate cancer care team.


The research into TULSA’s effectiveness continues with the CAPTAIN trial, a randomized control trial comparing TULSA with radical prostatectomy (NCT05027477).


About the Society of Interventional Radiology
The Society of Interventional Radiology is a nonprofit, professional medical society representing more than 8,000 practicing interventional radiology physicians, trainees, students, scientists and clinical associates, dedicated to improving patient care through the limitless potential of image-guided therapies. SIR’s members work in a variety of settings and at different professional levels—from medical students and residents to university faculty and private practice physicians. Visit sirweb.org. The Society of Interventional Radiology is holding its Annual Scientific Meeting in Salt Lake City March 23–28, 2024.

Back to HCB News

MRI Homepage