Image-guided laser therapies for prostate cancer

Current challenges and innovations in prostate cancer management concern the development of focal therapies that allow the treatment of the cancer areas only, sparing the rest of the gland to minimize the potential morbidity. Among these techniques, laser-based techniques (laser-induced thermotherapy [LITT] and interstitial photodynamic therapy [iPDT]), appear as potential candidates to reach the goal of focusing energy delivery on the identified targets. The aim of this paper is to give a brief introduction to these laser-based techniques and to discuss some issues to be addressed before their generalized clinical application.