Experts are saying a new technique for early treatment of prostate cancer may have far fewer side effects.
A 41-patient study in the journal Lancet Oncology suggests targeted ultrasound treatment could reduce the risk of impotence and incontinence.
If the findings are repeated in larger studies it could transform future treatment.
Each year 37,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Many face a difficult dilemma: the disease kills about 10,000 men every year, but for some it may not get worse if left untreated.
Standard treatment with surgery or radiotherapy involves treating the whole prostate gland, and can harm surrounding tissue, with a serious risk of side-effects, including urinary incontinence and impotence.
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which funded the study, welcomed the results, which it said were promising.
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