Samir S. Taneja, MD, presented “Selecting the Optimal Energy Source” during the 2023 Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy symposium on November 10, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
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How to cite: Taneja, Samir S. “Selecting the Optimal Energy Source.” November, 2023. Accessed Jul 2025. https://grandroundsinurology.com/selecting-the-optimal-energy-source/
Selecting the Optimal Energy Source – Summary
Samir S. Taneja, MD, compares the merits and limitations of the leading energy sources used in prostate focal ablation. The sources available for use in prostate ablation today include laser, electroporation, radiofrequency, photodynamic therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryosurgery, drugs/toxins, radiations (focal/interstitial), surgery, steam, and gold nanoparticles.
Dr. Taneja outlines the ideal criteria for an energy source based on the individual characteristics of the patient and their disease, as well as real-world considerations like ease of use and insurance coverage. He gives examples of which energy sources are best-suited for certain cases based on disease presentation and other factors.
In a full focal therapy practice, the optimal situation would be one with multiple energy sources available so that physicians can tailor treatments to each individual patient. Since this saturation of options can be daunting to physicians just starting in a focal therapy program, Dr. Taneja advises practitioners to pick one energy source to practice at first, limiting patient selection to those with disease that is best-treated with that specific modality. After becoming proficient with that energy source, more can be added to increase candidate selection.
Frontiers in Oncologic Prostate Care and Ablative Local Therapy (FOCAL) is an outstanding program on prostate imaging, transperineal interventions, and ablative treatments for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Bringing together community-based, academic, and industry partners, FOCAL offers lectures by world-renowned faculty and hands-on training workshops on in-office transperineal interventions, fusion-guided prostate ablation and state-of-the-art BPH management with novel technologies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samir S. Taneja, MD, a surgeon whose long career has been spent in driving innovation in urologic cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially prostate cancer, has been selected to lead Northwell Health’s urology service line. Dr. Taneja has been appointed the senior vice president and chair of urology at Northwell Health and the chair of the Smith Institute for Urology. Previous to his position at Northwell Health, Dr. Taneja spent 29 years at NYU Langone Health, most recently serving as vice chair of the Department of Urology, director of the Division of Urologic Oncology, and a professor of urology and radiology at the medical school, as well as professor of bioengineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
The work that Dr. Taneja conducted at NYU Langone and its Perlmutter Cancer Center and Smilow Comprehensive Prostate Cancer Center has transformed the field of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment by improving methods of prostate imaging, cancer detection, and disease localization. Dr. Taneja strives to integrate new technologies into his practice to evolve the practice of oncology. This has allowed him to care for prostate cancer patients individually by avoiding surgery or radiation when not needed, and using new targeted approaches to treat the disease when possible.
Dr. Taneja’s clinical research focuses on the use of imaging to detect and treat prostate cancer. He pioneered the use of MRI to diagnose and pinpoint prostate cancer, and in MRI-guided focal ablative therapies that aim to destroy the only cancerous portion of the prostate. Dr. Taneja has authored more than 200 articles, 30 book chapters, and 6 textbooks and monographs on urologic cancer and surgery. In addition, he is the editor of Taneja’s Complications of Urologic Surgery: Prevention and Diagnosis, one of the most widely read textbooks in American urology.
