Vanquish Prostate Cancer Treatment in Arizona
EVU Center of Arizona is excited to introduce for 2026 the new Vanquish Prostate Cancer Treatment.
The Vanquish® Water Vapor Ablation System is a minimally invasive procedure that uses gentle water vapor (steam) to destroy small areas of prostate tissue that your doctor has carefully targeted. It is designed as an outpatient treatment, so most patients go home the same day.
What Vanquish is and how it works
- The Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System uses controlled pulses of water vapor (steam) to heat and destroy the prostate tissue your doctor wants to treat.
- During the procedure, a thin device is placed into your urethra (the tube that carries urine) and guided to your prostate, where a very small, needle-like catheter is gently moved into the targeted tissue.
- Your doctor then delivers several short treatments of steam to destroy the problem tissue, including the edges around the lesion to help ensure complete treatment.
Who might be a candidate
- In clinical studies, Vanquish has been used in patients with intermediate‑risk prostate cancer, but your individual situation may be different.
- The only way to know if this procedure is right for you is to review your diagnosis, imaging, and health history with your urologist or prostate cancer specialist.
Anesthesia, visit length, and hospital stay
- The Vanquish procedure is usually done under general anesthesia (“put to sleep”) to keep you comfortable and still while the prostate tissue is treated.
- Plan on spending about 2–4 hours at the surgery center or hospital, including check‑in, preparation, the procedure itself, and recovery time.
- Vanquish is typically an outpatient procedure, which means most patients are able to go home the same day once the care team confirms it is safe for discharge.
Insurance, Medicare, and costs
- Because Vanquish is a newer option for ablating targeted prostate tissue, insurance coverage and payment policies are still being established with many health plans.
- Medicare generally covers procedures that are considered reasonable and medically necessary, but each health plan may decide coverage and medical necessity on a case‑by‑case basis, so your team may seek prior authorization or a coverage determination before scheduling.
Safety, risks, and side effects
- As with any procedure and with anesthesia, there are risks that your doctor will review with you in detail before treatment.
- Early clinical studies (VAPOR 1 and VAPOR 2) reported no serious side effects directly related to the device, low rates of urinary leakage (incontinence), and low rates of erectile dysfunction, although individual results can vary.
- Common side effects seen in studies were usually mild and temporary and can include blood in the urine, trouble urinating if the catheter is removed too soon, sexual dysfunction, urinary urgency or frequency, post‑void dribbling (leaking after you finish urinating), mild incontinence, and discharge from the urethra.
Pain, recovery, and returning to activities
- You should not feel pain during the procedure itself because general anesthesia is used, and most patients in clinical studies reported little to no pain from the treatment.
- Afterward, it is normal to have some mild discomfort for a few days, which is often managed with over‑the‑counter pain medications as directed by your doctor.
- You will likely go home with a urinary catheter for a few days to help you pass urine while the prostate area heals, and your doctor will explain how to care for it.
- Most people are able to return to light, non‑strenuous activities within a few days, but your doctor will give specific instructions about driving, work, exercise, and sexual activity.
Patient Experience:
Patients participating in the VAPOR 2 study were asked a series of questions about their experience. We continue to gather data on the clinical outcomes and patient experience.
93% of patients were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the Vanquish procedure at 12 months (n=107).
94% of the patients believed that the Vanquish procedure was a good decision (n=107).
Most patients reported minimal to no pain after the Vanquish procedure.
- One advantage of the Vanquish procedure is that it destroys only the targeted tissue and still allows for other prostate procedures in the future if needed.
- The Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System has FDA clearance as a tool for thermal ablation (heat‑based destruction) of targeted prostate tissue through the urethra; however, the FDA has not evaluated Vanquish as a specific treatment for prostate cancer or for long‑term prostate cancer outcomes.
Talk with one of our urologists at EVU Center of Arizona about Vanquish at your next visit so you can review your test results, clarify your treatment goals, and decide together if this procedure is the right option for you.
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