SWOT Analysis for Treatments of Localized Prostate Cancer- Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound as an Example
Date Issued
2015
Date
2015
Author(s)
Chiang, Po-Hui
Abstract
The incidence and mortality rate of prostate cancer are increasing in Taiwan. Nearly half of prostate cancer patients are classified into localized prostate cancer. The classical treatments for localized prostate cancer are surgeries including of retropubic radical prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy) and radiotherapy. The age of most of the prostate cancer patients are between 70 and 79 years old. The traditional treatments often result in overtreatment and seriously adverse events such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction etc. Cryoablation and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) are minimally invasive treatments for localized prostate cancer. However, it is very difficult to compare these treatment modalities in the same institute. In this study patients treated with these treatment modalities were collected for analysis of cancer control and adverse events to find the optimization of treatment for localized prostate cancer since 2008. The international index of erectile function (IIEF), international prostate symptom score (IPSS) and questionnaire for quality of life (QoL) were also used to evaluate the postoperative erectile function, urinary function and quality of life. The mechanism of HIFU is that focused transducer emits bursts of convergent high intensity ultrasound waves with creation of an intense temperature rise, which destroys the cells located in the target area without damage to the surround tissue. In comparison with surgery and cryoablation the cancer control is similar in low and intermediate risk groups. On the contrary, radiotherapy is inferior to other three treatment modalities in high risk group. The patients of HIFU had significantly better IIEF, IPSS and QoL in comparison with surgery, radiotherapy and cryoablation. The intracorporeal HIFU device was developed by EDAP TMS SA and is not approved by the US Food Drug Administration. The American prostate cancer market is the largest in the world. However, the urologists are not familiar with ultrasound and the radiologists are enthusiastic with high profit radiotherapy. These factors make HIFU not popular in the world. SWOT analysis and marketing strategy are proposed in this study. HIFU may be used in the treatment of renal tumor, liver tumor and brain tumor. The physicians or surgeons in the modern era should have the mind of blue sky thinking to create medicine model innovation blue ocean strategy.
Subjects
Prostate cancer
HIFU
High intensity focused ultrasound
Cryoablation
Marketing strategy
SDGs
Type
thesis
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