ug by the investigator but not by the sponsor. One man had an inflammatory prostatic cyst 193 days after the VTP… which was considered related to study drug and device by both the investigator and the sponsor.[iii]
TOOKAD VTP as a focal treatment for prostate cancer has the potential to destroy the tumor with very minimal risk to urinary and sexual function. Until it is approved in the U.S., interested patients must travel to Mexico or Europe for the treatment. However, whether now or in the future, patients interested in a focal treatment but uncomfortable with the idea of a photosensitizing agent in their bloodstream may want to consider focal laser ablation (FLA). MRI-guided FLA also uses light, but in this case it is the direct application of a laser beam into the tumor, which creates extreme heat to destroy the tumor and its blood vessels in less than 2 minutes. FLA requires no surgery, no radiation, and no photosensitizers circulating in the body—and it is FDA-cleared for use in the U.S. |
