Look at the Study. If you can, ask your doctor for a copy of the study, or at least get the reference to the medical journal in which it was published. Before you accept any results, make sure the new drug or technique has been evaluated in a randomized, controlled study that lasted at least one year. If it’s a medical (as opposed to surgical) or minimally invasive form of treatment, the
The treatments in this section all have something in common: Waves. They all channel a form of energy—heat, radio frequency, ultrasound, microwaves, and light—to kill cells. Energy waves are generated, focused, aimed, and fired at the overgrowth of BPH tissue surrounding the urethra. Some waves work like a shotgun, blasting holes in the prostate. Others are as sensitive as a scalpel, delicately nibbling away at BPH tissue until the urethra is free.
As yet, none of these treatments can be classified as standard therapy. They’re trial should include a placebo-treated group of patients for comparison. If it’s a more invasive form of treatment, the results should always be compared to the accepted gold standard—in this case, the TUR. Is there a noticeable improvement in benefits?
Next, make sure that both subjective and objective results were measured. (Remember, encouraged by being involved in a study, a man might feel that his flow rate has improved more than it actually has.) All participants in the study should at least have completed symptom scores and had uroflow measurements taken. Ideally, the study should be stratified according to age, risk factors and severity of obstruction. Endoscopic treatment techniques preferably should be compared only to TUR and, if feasible, these studies too should include a placebo-procedure group.
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