Prostate Focal Therapy: Definitions and Common Terminology

The term “focal therapy,” as applied to the treatment of localized prostate cancer, is a blanket term that encompasses any treatment of the prostate with the intent to preserve some portion of the prostate gland. There is no one “focal therapy”; focal therapy, by definition, may involve the treatment and/or preservation of different proportions of the prostate gland or different regions of the prostate gland. Development of this field is currently taking place simultaneously at many centers throughout the world. A common nomenclature that describes what our intent is beyond the vagueness of just “focal therapy” will facilitate the communication of our ideas and results with our peers. This, in turn, will provide an accurate level of knowledge transfer to thoughtfully move this therapy forward and shift the entire way we approach men with prostate cancer.