Focal Therapy Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Prostate Cancer

What is focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound?

Focal therapy is a type of localized treatment for prostate cancer that uses various types of energy (such as cold or heat) to destroy tumor cells. The aim of focal therapy is to destroy cancerous cells while leaving as much healthy tissue as possible, to minimize complications and side effects.

Focal Therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an advanced, minimally invasive procedure that is used to treat certain conditions, including prostate cancer. The treatment involves using high-intensity, highly focused ultrasound waves.

Ultrasound scans are regularly used by doctors, with high-frequency sound waves producing real-time images of soft tissues or organs inside the body.

Instead of producing images, focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound directs many high-intensity and highly focused sound waves at specific parts of the body. These intense sound waves then interact with targeted tissues and modify or destroy them. The focused beams of sound waves cause the temperature of the targeted tissue to increase, which destroys it. This is called ablation.

Doctors guide the high-intensity focused ultrasound to the targeted tissue using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound guidance. The sound beams can reach the target tissue through layers of skin and other tissue without harming them.

When is focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound used?

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is used to treat a number of conditions, affecting a number of organs and tissues, such as uterine fibroids, tremors and thyroid nodules.

It is used as a treatment for prostate cancer. It is emerging as an effective alternative to traditional treatments for prostate cancer, such as radiation therapy and surgery.

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is primarily indicated for the treatment of prostate cancer which is confined to the prostate gland (localized) and hasn’t spread to other parts of the body. It is considered an appropriate treatment when the patient has:

• Early-stage localized prostate cancer.
• Low to intermediate risk disease (Gleason 6-7)

What are the advantages of focal Therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound?

The main advantage of focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is that it is a minimally invasive procedure. No incisions or surgical removal of the prostate are needed, meaning it can be done in an outpatient setting. This reduces the risk of complications and ensures a faster recovery.

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound also allows doctors to target diseased tissue precisely, which means surrounding healthy tissue are unharmed, and no radiation is used. This reduces side effects and improves quality of life for patients.

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is an effective treatment, demonstrating high efficacy in the treatment of early, localized prostate cancer. It also offers good long-term control rates of prostate cancer.

Compared to other, more invasive cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound has fewer side effects and is generally safer.

What are the disadvantages of focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound?

In general, focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is associated with a very low risk of complications in medical use. Side effects will depend on the type of condition and area being treated.

It is important to remember that focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound isn’t a suitable treatment for every patient with prostate cancer. Since focal therapy as a treatment modality is limited to the area of the prostate it treats, there remains a risk that disease may present in other areas of the prostate post treatment.

What happens during a focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound procedure?

Focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is usually performed under general anesthetic to ensure the patient’s comfort. Ultrasound guidance is then used to accurately map the prostate gland and find the exact area being targeted.

The high-intensity focused ultrasound probe is then inserted into the rectum to ensure precise delivery of the ultrasound waves. The beams of ultrasound are then delivered in bursts and adjusted if needed. The waves heat and destroy the targeted cancer cells. The imaging tool will then make sure the targeted tissue has been destroyed. Usually, only one session of focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound is needed.

To learn more about focal therapy using high-intensity focused ultrasound and the other advanced treatment options for prostate cancer, speak to a member of our team.