Science / Medicine : Microwaves Shrink Prostates

A new machine that uses microwave energy to shrink enlarged prostates, one of the most common ailments of men over the age of 50, will be tested under an experimental program given government approval. If the procedure works, doctors said last week, it could replace surgery for thousands of patients and substantially reduce the nation’s annual cost of treating prostate problems in older men.

The experimental machine, called the Prostatron, uses a catheter with miniature microwave antenna to deliver up to 130 degrees of heat to tissues in an enlarged prostate. The heat causes the gland to shrink without the need for surgery.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in men that surrounds a portion of the urethra, the duct that carries urine from the bladder to the penis.