title: Primary focal prostate radiotherapy: Do all patients really need whole-prostate irradiation?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the available data about focal primary partial prostate irradiation (focal radiotherapy, FRT) for early prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline search for English language full paper on primary FRT for early prostate cancer including review articles, planning studies or patient series (clinical outcome available) published before May 31, 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  22 papers have been found: 11 review articles, 4 planning studies and 7 patient series. Eleven review articles were dedicated to all types of focal therapy including FRT and 2 to FRT only. All planning studies included brachytherapy and showed excellent organ-at-risk sparing. Patient series included together 715 patients (99% treated with brachytherapy) and showed promising tumour control in low-risk cancer. In intermediate-risk tumours, FRT might be suboptimal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary FRT is feasible in early prostate cancer. As any other focal therapy, FRT remains investigational until numerous questions are answered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Radiation Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara Alicja
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Jereczek-Fossa
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: delia.ciardo@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ciardo
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petralia
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Radiology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellomi
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Berardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Bari
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Urology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Ottavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Cobelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Division of Radiation Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orecchia
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*
keywords: Focal radiotherapy; Focal therapy; Index lesion; Intraprostatic lesion; Primary partial prostate irradiation