The treatment of prostate cancer is continually evolving as we look at new technologies and advances in managing the disease. Today, board-certified urologist and prostate cancer expert, Dr. Jim Hu, from Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York joins us. In this episode, Dr. Hu will be talking about targeted focal therapy. He will focus specifically on HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) as a treatment option for targeted focal therapy, for prostate cancer. He will also review who may and may not be a candidate for focal therapy. 

Dr. Jim Hu completed his urology residency at UCLA and his urologic oncology fellowship at City of Hope National Medical Center. He got recruited at Weill Cornell Medicine in February of 2015 after establishing high-volume internationally renowned programs at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and UCLA Medical Center, where he served as Director of the Prostate Cancer and Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery programs respectively. He is internationally renowned as a surgical innovator and health services researcher. His research interests have been funded by the Department of Defense, National Cancer Institute, and the Livestrong Foundation. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Hu has performed thousands of robot-assisted prostatectomies, among over 4000 laparoscopic, robotic and open procedures. He has been instrumental in helping drive some of the advances that have helped the field of urology, including working with the FDA to look at the outcomes of HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound), a type of targeted focal therapy for prostate cancer.  

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show highlights:

• Dr. Hu explains what targeted focal therapy for prostate cancer is.
• Dr. Hu describes some of the different technologies currently utilized for focal therapy.
• Dr. Hu explains what HIFU is and how it works in treating prostate cancer.
• When looking at targeted focal therapy, Dr. Hu describes the best potential candidates for the HIFU option.
• Dr. Hu explains the methods he is currently using to identify the targeted area to treat with focal therapy.
• Dr. Hu discusses one of the challenges with the localization of prostate cancer.
• Dr. Hu explains what a man considering HIFU as an option for targeted therapy can expect from the procedure.
• Some of the risks and potential advantages of using HIFU for focal therapy for prostate cancer.
• Dr. Hu describes his set protocol for following men after focal therapy with HIFU in terms of monitoring them for any recurrence or progression of prostate cancer.
• Dr. Wu discusses whether men are still candidates for other therapy if needed after HIFU, should they have a prostate cancer recurrence.
• What the future holds for the future of HIFU in the management of prostate cancer.
• Dr. Hu talks about whether he sees HIFU making its way into current guidelines and becoming more widely accepted as a standard of care for appropriate candidates.
• Most of the current guidelines continue to advocate for the templated biopsy rather than the MRI.
• Some tips for men considering targeted focal therapy for prostate cancer.

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