Interstitial microwave thermal therapy for prostate cancer.

Thermal therapy is used to kill tumors by heating them to temperatures >50 degrees C for an extended period of time. Cell death results from thermal coagulation. The energy sources available for this approach include radiofrequency electrodes, microwave antennas, laser fiberoptics, and ultrasound transducers. Each of these modalities has the potential to be delivered in a minimally invasive manner, and many theoretical and experimental investigations of these devices have been performed. This review describes current knowledge of interstitial microwave thermal therapy for prostate cancer. Examples are given from an ongoing trial in patients who have recurrent or persistent disease following radiation therapy. Future directions for pretreatment planning and real-time monitoring and control are discussed. These techniques have the potential to optimize treatments on a patient-specific basis and will be instrumental in planned future trials of this therapy as first line for prostate cancer.