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. 2021 Jul 15;2021(7):CD013656. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013656.pub2

Abbou 1995.

Study characteristics
Methods Study design: prospective, randomized study.
Study dates: study dates not available
Setting: outpatient, multicenter centre, national
Country: France
Participants Inclusion criteria: male participants:
  • Age ≥ 50 years

  • Voiding disorders for at least 3 months before inclusion

  • No suspicion of prostatic cancer (assessed by digital rectal examination)

  • Prostate weight between 30 and 80 g

  • Peak Flow Rate (PFR) < 15mL/s for a voided volume ≥ 150 mL determined by two urine flow measurements

  • Residual urine volume < 300 mL

  • Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level <10ng/mL for a prostatic weight < 60 g or a PSA level < 15ng/mL for a prostatic weight ≥ 60 g

  • Serum creatinine level < 160pmol/L

  • No infection (assessed by bacteriological analysis of urine)

  • Written informed consent


Exclusion criteria: male participants:
  • Undergone previous surgery on the prostate or bladder

  • Mental incapacity

  • Any chronic disease potentially hindering follow‐up

  • Diabetes

  • Participation in any clinical protocol within the last 3 months

  • Any other urological disease

  • Any medical treatment for voiding disorders within 15 days of inclusion

  • Taken diuretics in the previous 3 months

  • Anticoagulant therapy

  • Allergy to lidocaine

  • Colorectal disease.


Total number of participants randomized: 200
Group 1: n = 66 Transurethral route hyperthermia
  • Age, mean (SD): 65 (8) years

  • Serum creatinine, mean (SD): 100 (19) mol/L

  • Prostate weight, mean (SD): 45 (15) g

  • PSA, mean (SD): 4.5 (2.7) ng/mL

  • PFR, mean (SD): 10.4 (2.7)mL/s


Group 2: n = 31 transurethral sham
  • Age, mean (SD): 66 (7) years

  • Serum creatinine, mean (SD): 92 (16) mol/L

  • Prostate weight, mean (SD): 44 (11) g

  • PSA, mean (SD): 4.2 (3) ng/mL

  • PFR, mean (SD): 9.9 (2.5)mL/s


Group 3: n = 65 Transrectal route hyperthermia
  • Age, mean (SD): 66 (7) years

  • Serum creatinine, mean (SD): 92 (19) mol/L

  • Prostate weight, mean (SD): 45 (13) g

  • PSA, mean (SD): 4.8 (2.8) ng/mL

  • PFR, mean (SD): 9.8 (2.7)mL/s


Group 4: n = 38 transrectal sham
  • Age, mean (SD): 66 (7) years

  • Serum creatinine, mean (SD): 90 (19) mol/L

  • Prostate weight, mean (SD): 43 (15) g

  • PSA, mean (SD): 5.0 (3.3) ng/mL

  • PFR, mean (SD): 9.0 (3.3)mL/s

Interventions Group 1 (n = 66) TUMT
Three devices were used for transurethral treatment (Thermex II, Technorex, Israel: Prostcare, Brucker Spectrospin, France; BSD‐50. BSD Medical Corp, USA). Prostate temperature was monitored by an integrated microwave generator and controlled in each device through a fiber optic temperature monitor. All devices were used according to the manufacturer's instructions to deliver a temperature compatible with hyperthermia treatment (45 °C). Treatment was delivered in one session of 1 to 3 hs (depending on the device used).
Group 2 (n = 31) Sham TUMT:
Sham treatment consisted of a single session with the temperature maintained at 37 °C.
Group 3 (n = 65) Transrectal route hyperthermia:
Three devices were used for transrectal treatment (Prostathermer system, Biodan Medical Systems, Israel: Prostcare, Brucker Spectrospin, France: Primus, Tecnomatix Medical, Belgium). Prostate temperature was monitored by an integrated microwave generator and controlled in each device through a fiber‐optic temperature monitor. All devices were used according to the manufacturer's instructions to deliver a temperature compatible with hyperthermia treatment (45 °C). Treatment was delivered in six sessions of 1 to 3hs (depending on the device used) for each session over 3 weeks.
Group 4 (n = 38) transrectal sham: sham treatment consisted of a single session with the temperature maintained at 37 °C.
Co‐interventions: not reported
Outcomes Urologic symptom scores
How measured: Madsen score. Additionally, responders were participants showing excellent, good or moderate responses according to each of the criteria analyzed separately (Madsen score decrease >30%; a PFR >10 mL/s with a PFR increase > 30%).
Time points measured: baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months
Time points reported: baseline and 12 months
Subgroups: none
Retreatment
How measured: number of participants with medical or surgical procedure (reported the numbers separately for each)
Time points measured: during treatment and 1 to 4 weeks after treatment (early post treatment complications)
Time points reported: during treatment and 1 to 4 weeks after treatment (early post treatment complications)
Subgroups: none
Major and minor adverse event/acute urinary retention
How measured: number of patients with urethral bleeding, pain and urinary tract infection, acute urinary retention
Time points measured: during treatment and 1 to 4 weeks after treatment (early post treatment complications)
Time points reported: during treatment and 1 to 4 weeks after treatment (early post treatment complications)
Subgroups: none
Relevant outcomes not reported in this study
  • Quality of life

  • Erectile function

  • Ejaculatory function

  • Indwelling urinary catheter

Funding sources This study was supported by a grant from the Comite d’Evaluation et de Diffusion des Innovations Technologiques (CEDIT), Assistance Publique‐Hopitaux de Paris. Devices were lent by the following companies: Biodan, Brucker, BSD, Direx, and Tecnomatix.
Declarations of interest Not available
Notes We only included transurethral active and sham groups for the purpose of this review.
No contact information available.
Protocol: not available
Language of publication: English
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Quote: “Randomization was stratified by the investigating centre and by approach (transrectal or transurethral), and was performed using permutation tables such that equal sample sizes were obtained for each type of approach, device and sham group.”
The investigators describe a random component in the sequence generation process.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Quote: “Patients were randomly allocated to a treatment in a single treatment centre after verification of the inclusion criteria.”
Insufficient information to permit judgement of ‘Low risk’ or ‘High risk’.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
Subjective outcomes Low risk Quote: “Patients were not informed of their treatment, nor was the investigator who enrolled the patients.”
Blinding of participants and key study personnel ensured, and unlikely that the blinding could have been broken.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Subjective outcomes Low risk Quote: “Patients were not informed of their treatment, nor was the investigator who enrolled the patients.”
Blinding of participants and key study personnel ensured, and unlikely that the blinding could have been broken.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
Objective outcomes Low risk Quote: “Patients were not informed of their treatment, nor was the investigator who enrolled the patients.”
Blinding of participants and key study personnel ensured, and unlikely that the blinding could have been broken.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Urologic symptom scores/Quality of life High risk There is an imbalance in numbers or reasons for missing data across intervention groups and potentially inappropriate application of simple imputation.
Quote: “Patients lost to follow‐up were classified according to maximum bias (in the sham groups as 'responders' and in the hyperthermia groups as 'non‐responders').”
Missing data only in group 2.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Major adverse events/minor adverse events High risk There is an imbalance in numbers or reasons for missing data across intervention groups and potentially inappropriate application of simple imputation.
Quote: “Patients lost to follow‐up were classified according to maximum bias (in the sham groups as 'responders' and in the hyperthermia groups as 'non‐responders').”
Missing data only in group 2.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Retreatment High risk There is an imbalance in numbers or reasons for missing data across intervention groups and potentially inappropriate application of simple imputation.
Quote: “Patients lost to follow‐up were classified according to maximum bias (in the sham groups as 'responders' and in the hyperthermia groups as 'non‐responders').”
Missing data only in group 2.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Acute urinary retention High risk There is an imbalance in numbers or reasons for missing data across intervention groups and potentially inappropriate application of simple imputation.
Quote: “Patients lost to follow‐up were classified according to maximum bias (in the sham groups as 'responders' and in the hyperthermia groups as 'non‐responders').”
Missing data only in group 2.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
Indwelling catheter High risk There is an imbalance in numbers or reasons for missing data across intervention groups and potentially inappropriate application of simple imputation.
Quote: “Patients lost to follow‐up were classified according to maximum bias (in the sham groups as 'responders' and in the hyperthermia groups as 'non‐responders').”
Missing data only in group 2.
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk No protocol available. Insufficient information to permit judgement of ‘Low risk’ or ‘High risk’.
Other bias Low risk The study appears to be free of other sources of bias.