Focal Therapy Uncommon in Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer, Study Shows

A research letter published online on August 13 in the *Journal of American Medical Association* (JAMA) found that focal therapy for non‑metastatic prostate cancer remains rarely used across all risk categories. The analysis also revealed that roughly 50 % of patients who received focal therapy were deemed to have received an inappropriate treatment according to current clinical guidelines.

The study examined a large cohort of men with localized prostate cancer and evaluated the appropriateness of focal therapy—an approach that targets only the tumor region rather than the entire gland. While the therapy is intended for selected low‑ to intermediate‑risk patients, the data indicate that its application is infrequent overall and that a significant proportion of recipients did not meet the criteria that justify its use.

These findings underscore the need for stricter adherence to evidence‑based criteria when selecting patients for focal therapy and highlight the importance of ongoing audit and education to prevent inappropriate use of this treatment modality.