Minimally Invasive Therapies in Urologic Cancers

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Methods and Technologies Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 334

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Radiology and Imaging, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Interests: interventional radiology; MRI-guided laser ablation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: imaging; ablation; prostate cancer; kidney cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Surgery and radiation therapy are the traditional treatments for urologic cancers. However, recent technological and procedural advances promote minimally invasive techniques that can focally ablate a subset of organ-confined cancers, offering control similar to that of traditional, more invasive methods. Percutaneous or endoscopic techniques are increasing in variety as modern imaging enables the diagnosis of smaller and less aggressive urologic tumors. These lesions are often best treated with focal therapy, which offers fewer side effects and complications, along with excellent technical success and cancer control. Urologic cancers that are best treated with such techniques originate in the urothelium, adrenal gland, kidney and prostate. Additionally, recent advances in targeted PET scanning allow for new possibilities for percutaneous treatment in highly selected patients with oligometastatic disease.

This Special Issue focuses on interventional and imaging innovations that support minimally invasive techniques in the management of urologic cancers.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Eric M. Walser
Dr. Guglielmo Manenti
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • laparoscopic surgery
  • robotic-assisted surgery
  • ablation
  • high-intensity focused ultrasound
  • partial nephrectomy
  • minimally invasive procedures
  • urologic cancers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1085 KiB  
Article
Echolaser Focal Treatment for Prostate Cancer Guided by Fiducial Marker Placement
by Timoleon Granitsas, Ioannis Anastassakis, Stamatios Brempos and Kyriakos Brempos
Cancers 2025, 17(10), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17101707 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 227
Abstract
Background: Focal therapy has emerged as a viable alternative to radical prostate cancer treatment, offering oncologic control while minimizing morbidity. EchoLaser focal laser ablation (FLA) is a minimally invasive technique that utilizes high-precision laser energy for tumor destruction. This study evaluated the [...] Read more.
Background: Focal therapy has emerged as a viable alternative to radical prostate cancer treatment, offering oncologic control while minimizing morbidity. EchoLaser focal laser ablation (FLA) is a minimally invasive technique that utilizes high-precision laser energy for tumor destruction. This study evaluated the oncologic outcomes, procedural efficiency, and safety of EchoLaser focal therapy, comparing fiducial-assisted (FM+) and non-fiducial (FM−) approaches. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Athens Medical Center, Greece, including 50 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with EchoLaser therapy. Patients were categorized into FM+ (n = 31) and FM− (n = 19) groups. Oncologic control (MRI and PSA levels at six months), procedural efficiency (operative time), and safety (adverse events) were assessed. Results: At six months, 80% of patients (n = 40) had no residual disease on MRI, while 20% (n = 10) showed persistent or recurrent tumor activity. PSA levels declined from 10.26 ± 14.99 ng/mL to 2.70 ± 2.67 ng/mL, reflecting a 74% median reduction. Procedure time was shorter in FM+ patients (33.48 ± 2.41 min vs. 45.79 ± 2.92 min, p < 0.01). Adverse events occurred only in the FM− group, including one case of urinary retention. Conclusions: FLA with EchoLaser using fiducial marker enhances procedural efficiency and could have a positive impact on oncologic control. These findings suggest that fiducial markers should be integrated into focal therapy protocols. Longer follow-up studies are needed to confirm the long-term outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Minimally Invasive Therapies in Urologic Cancers)
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