[Hyperthermia in the treatment of prostatic diseases: preliminary results. Proceedings of the 34th meeting of Lombard Urologists. Milan, 19 November 1989].

At the Division of Urology-Institute San Raffaele-Milan, 198 patients with prostatic diseases (164 cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy, 19 cases of chronic abacterial prostatitis, 14 cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma) were submitted to local prostatic hypertermia. The prostate was heated up to 42-43 +/- 0.5 degrees C depending on the specific disease. Hyperthermia was delivered in 5-10 sixty minute long outpatient sessions. Both subjective ad objective symptoms were markedly ameliorated in 70% of patients evaluated at the three month follow-up date. The accurate evaluation from a clinical, ecographic, histological and ultrastructural standpoint confirmed the efficacy and safety of local prostatic hyperthermia. This new procedure can be considered as a valid therapy for strictly selected patients.