Health

What is HIFU

Written by : Anshu Guleria Monday, 28 February 2011 11:28

Health - Cancer

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HIFU is an acoustic ablation technology that harnesses the power of ultrasound waves to destroy deep-seated tissue in areas of the body that are hard to reach with traditional treatments. When used to treat prostate cancer, it is a highly effective treatment option that is able to target and destroy the prostate gland’s cancerous tissue with pinpoint accuracy. HIFU can be used as a prostate cancer salvage technique when other non-repeatable treatments fail.

It requires no general anesthetic and is a non-ionizing, radiation-free technology, and can be repeated if necessary without causing adverse affects to the surrounding tissues. HIFU technology is similar to the scientific principle that allows sunlight focused through a magnifying glass to burn a leaf. If you insert your hand into the path of either one of the sun rays individually, away from the point of intersection, there is no significant heat felt or harm caused. Alternatively, if you place your hand at the point of intersection you will be burned. The ultrasound waves, like the sun's rays, are focused into a single intersection point called a focal zone. Due to the significant energy deposition at the focus, temperature within the tissue rises from 65° to 85°C, destroying the diseased tissue by coagulation necrosis.  This is highly accurate and repeatable, and the entire process is monitored in real time.

During HIFU, the physician uses continuously updated real-time images of the prostate to map out and execute the entire treatment plan. These images show treatment progression and permit the physician to customize treatment for maximum safety and effectiveness. Utilizing real-time ultrasound images of the prostate and surrounding areas, obtained from the Sonablate, the urologist plans where the ultrasound energy will be delivered. The Sonablate software allows the urologist to precisely define, control and monitor the treatment zones in order to destroy the cancerous tissues. The precision-focused ultrasound waves are directed at the diseased tissue only leaving the healthy cells surrounding the prostate untouched.

HIFU is a 1 to 3 hour non surgical, outpatient procedure performed under spinal anesthesia and light intravenous sedation. Unlike radiation, HIFU is non-ionizing; this means that HIFU may also be used as a salvage technique if other prostate cancer treatments fail. Results approaching that of surgery have been reported in many cases of prostate cancer patients that undergo HIFU.

HIFU’s capacity to generate in-depth precise tissue necrosis using an external applicator, with no effect on the surrounding structures, is unique. An important difference between HIFU and many other forms of focused energy, such as radiation therapy or radio surgery, is that the passage of ultrasound energy through intervening tissue has no apparent cumulative effect on that tissue. Treatment can be repeated in case of first HIFU treatment failure or partial treatment of the prostate. As a clean treatment (non-ionizing) HIFU is also an option to treat prostate cancer recurrence after radiation therapy failure.