A multi-center international study to evaluate the safety, functional and oncological outcomes of irreversible electroporation for the ablation of prostate cancer

Background Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel technique to treat localized prostate cancer with the aim of achieving oncological control while reducing related side effects. We present the outcomes of localized prostate cancer treated with IRE from a multi-center prospective registry. Methods Men with histologically confirmed prostate cancer were recruited to receive IRE. All the patients were proposed for prostate biopsy at 1-year post-IRE ablation. The functional outcomes were measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaires. The safety of IRE was graded by the treatment-related adverse events (AEs) according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Results 411 patients were recruited in this study from July 2015 to April 2020. The median follow-up time was 24 months (IQR 15–36). 116 patients underwent repeat prostate biopsy during 12–18 months after IRE. Clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason ≥ 3 + 4) was detected in 24.1% (28/116) of the patients; any grade prostate cancers were found in 59.5% (69/116) of the patients. The IPSS score increased significantly from 7.1 to 8.2 ( p = 0.015) at 3 months but decreased to 6.1 at 6 months ( p = 0.017). Afterwards, the IPSS level remained stable during follow-up. The IIEF-5 score decreased at 3 months from 16.0 to 12.1 ( p < 0.001) and then maintained equable afterwards. The rate of AEs was 1.8% at 3 months and then dropped to less than 1% at 6 months and remained stable until 48 months after IRE. Major AEs (Grade 3 or above) were rare. Conclusion For men with localized prostate cancer, IRE could achieve good urinary and sexual function outcomes and a reasonable oncological result. The real-world data are consistent with earlier studies, including recently published randomized controlled studies. The long-term oncological results need further investigation and follow-up.