High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a treatment that uses very powerful sound waves to heat and destroys cancer cells in the prostate.
The aim to use high-intensity focused ultrasound is to treat the part of the prostate that is affected by cancer and avoid the nerves and muscles (that control erection and the flow of pee), that lie next to the prostate.
HIFU might be best suitable for those patients in which cancer hasn’t spread outside their prostate (localised prostate cancer).
What does the procedure involve?
During the procedure, a beam of ultrasound energy travels into the prostate from a probe put in the bottom (rectum). The probe can heat tissue very accurately (to within a few millimetres), to destroy tissue only in the targeted area.
Benefits of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
- It is mostly a day-case procedure
- It is a minimally invasive treatment that does not involve cuts or needles.Because of this, it has less risk of side effects
- It also has a shorter recovery time, and most men return to their normal activities within 2 weeks.
- Unlike other therapies, HIFU treatment can usually be repeated, for patients without a complete response to the first treatment, or to manage local recurrences.
References:
- https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/health-information/hifu-to-treat-prostate-cancer