Long-term Clinical Outcome of Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapy (TUMT) 1991-1999 at Karolinska Hospital, Sweden

Objective: Minimal invasive methods, such as transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT), are economical and have modest side effects compared with transurethral electro-resection of the prostate (TUR-P). The treatment results from different TUMT-systems vary. Follow-up studies on each system type are therefore necessary. The objectives of this study are to summon the long-term clinical results of our TUMT-system and search for a pre-treatment parameter that can measure responding patients. Material and Methods: Three hundred and seventy-one patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) were treated with TUMT at Karolinska Hospital, Sweden with the ECP-system (Comair AB, Stockholm), for 30 or 60 min. They were followed up 12 to 72 months after TUMT. Results: At follow up approximately 76% subjectively judged that they had benefited from the treatment and 22% judged that they were fully cured. The over-all IPSS and Quality of Life score decreased approximately 40% and 30% respectively. Forty-one per cent of the patients with CAD (cathéter à demeure) before the treatment became permanently or temporarily catheter-free after the treatment. Q max increased 21% and 11% after 1 and 6 months respectively. Q max ranging from over 10 ml/s seem to be a selection parameter that increases the number of responding patients. Conclusion: These long-term clinical data show that TUMT treatment with ECP (electro-coagulation, prostate), gives a good success-rate, with reduction of symptoms. Furthermore there is a good chance of becoming catheter-free after TUMT.