Almost all of the men had moderate or high risk prostate cancer, but 10 years after treatment, only two had died from the disease.
These results are as good as surgery or radiation therapy, but with less than half the risk of side effects such as urine leakage or loss of sexual function.
Joint senior author Professor Hashim Ahmed, consultant urologist at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said the results showed that “focal therapy provides excellent long-term cancer control in a wide range of patients.”
“This makes a compelling case for more centers to offer this treatment,” he added.
Focal therapy was introduced more than 20 years ago, but currently only around 1,000 men a year receive it in the UK, despite around 15,000 people could benefit from it.
The therapy is not suitable for men whose cancer affects more than one part of the prostate or has spread beyond the prostate.