Erectile function after focal therapy for localized prostate cancer: a systematic review

Focal therapy modalities achieved interest in the management of prostate cancer (PCa) over the last a few years. This systematic review was aimed to investigate erectile function after focal therapy for localized PCa. Twenty-six out of 1287 reports were identified through a database systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science, supplemented with hand search, on June 1st, 2020, according to PRISMA guidelines. Focal therapy modalities investigated were cryotherapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), photodynamic therapy (TOOKAD), irreversible electroporation (IRE), and focal radiotherapy (RT) (i.e. brachytherapy or stereotactic RT). Overall, reported sexual function outcomes after these treatment modalities were generally good, with many studies reporting a complete recovery of EF at 1-year follow-up. However, the quality of current evidence is affected both by the lack of well-conducted comparative studies and by a significant heterogeneity in terms of study design, study population, erectile and sexual function assessment modalities.