Professor Stricker and Dr Andrew Tan presented a workshop on focal therapy for prostate cancer for the 2025 Urological Society Of Australia And New Zealand ASM held in Perth.
This 4 hour workshop on focal therapy delivered the latest results in focal therapy from Australia and abroad. Professor Stricker gave four keynote addresses and an update on NanoKnife© focal therapy, the irreversible electroporation (IRE) treatment he initiated at St Vincent’s 12 years ago. Since then his results include a cohort of over 600 patients. Prof Stricker discussed the results from this group, stressing that 85% avoided surgery or radiotherapy. Further, no major side effects were recorded including no significant incontinence or erection problems. Quality of life outcomes for men with select cases of prostate cancer were excellent.
Prof Stricker also noted that as focal treatment with IRE has now matured and demonstrated its advantages, it ought to be made more available and affordable. To this end, he and his team have applied for an MBS item number. By contrast, newer focal therapies were also discussed but with the shorter followup will require ongoing research and study. Excellent discussion and debate were had throughout the workshop.