Development of Feedback Microwave Thermotherapy in Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

......................................................................... 5 LIST OF ORIGINAL PAPERS............................................. 7 ABBREVIATIONS............................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION................................................................ 11 Background...................................................................... 12 Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)................................ 13 Aetiology and patophysiology.......................................... 14 Epidemiology.................................................................... 17 Health economics............................................................. 18 Investigations and diagnosis............................................. 19 Treatments for symptomatic BPH.................................... 21 Drug treatments.......................................................... 21 Surgical treatments..................................................... 23 Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)..... 23 Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP)........ 25 Open Prostatectomy................................................ 25 Minimally invasive treatments (MIT)........................ 25 Ethanol injection therapy of the prostate (EIP)..... 26 TUNA..................................................................... 26 Laser treatments..................................................... 26 Microwaves................................................................. 27 Physical characteristics......................................... 27 The history of technical development.................... 27 Clinical documentation and user acceptance........ 28 PLFT....................................................................... 31 Blood flow problems.............................................. 32 Previously unsolved TUMT issues......................... 34 Methodological improvements............................... 36