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The Concept of the Index Lesion

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Technical Aspects of Focal Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a multifocal disease, but not all of these lesions will cause harm. Recent evidence has been building to suggest that it is the largest and highest grade cancer which drives the disease to grow, invade and metastasise and lead to premature death. This tumour has been popularly coined the index lesion and, arguable, is central to the entire disciple of focal therapy.

In this chapter we explore the relationship of tumour multifocality, clinically significant disease, the index lesion and it’s implication for the future of prostate care

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK

    Ian A. Donaldson MRCS, BMBS, Mark Emberton FRCS(Urol), MD, MBBS & Hashim U. Ahmed PhD, FRCS(Urol), BM, BCh(Oxon)

  2. Department of Urology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Ian A. Donaldson MRCS, BMBS, Mark Emberton FRCS(Urol), MD, MBBS & Hashim U. Ahmed PhD, FRCS(Urol), BM, BCh(Oxon)

  3. Department of Histopathology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Alex Freeman FRCPath, MD, MBBS

Authors
  1. Ian A. Donaldson MRCS, BMBS
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  2. Mark Emberton FRCS(Urol), MD, MBBS
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  3. Alex Freeman FRCPath, MD, MBBS
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  4. Hashim U. Ahmed PhD, FRCS(Urol), BM, BCh(Oxon)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hashim U. Ahmed PhD, FRCS(Urol), BM, BCh(Oxon) .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Institut Montsouris, Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France

    Eric Barret

  2. Department of Urology, Hôpital Pasteur 2 – Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Antipolis, France

    Matthieu Durand

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Donaldson, I.A., Emberton, M., Freeman, A., Ahmed, H.U. (2015). The Concept of the Index Lesion. In: Barret, E., Durand, M. (eds) Technical Aspects of Focal Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer. Springer, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0484-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0484-2_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Paris

  • Print ISBN: 978-2-8178-0483-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-2-8178-0484-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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