Hifu

What Is Actually HIFU and Who Is a Suitable Person With Prostate Cancer?

HIFU, or Intense Focused Ultrasound, is really a noninvasive strategy for management of localized prostate cancer. HIFU focuses ultrasound energy and soundwaves to some targeted area from the prostate resulting in rapid temperature increases and focal ablation in the treatment zone with great accuracy. In many instances, HIFU is performed with an outpatient basis in a single to 4 hours depending on the size of the prostate. The biggest advantage of HIFU is a very low incontinence rate of under 2% along with a post-treatment erectile dysfunction rate of 20 to 30%. The true secret to success with HIFU, however, is proper patient selection. Candidates include men with low- to intermediate-risk localized prostate kind of cancer (i.e., no spread of cancer outside the prostate). These men could have clinical stage T1 or T2b disease (i.e., no palpable nodule or nodule confined one lobe with the prostate), Gleason score of seven or less (preferably not greater than Gleason Score 3+4=7), PSA level of lower than 20, along with a prostate amount of 40 grams or less. Initial data for treatment of appropriately selected men with HIFU has shown results comparable to other modalities pertaining to localized cancer control, biochemical recurrence, and disease-free survival. Additionally, reported incontinence and erectile dysfunction rates after HIFU may be low at less that 2% and 20 to 30%, respectively.

Attributes of HIFU as a way of treating select men with prostate cancer incorporate a non-surgical, non-surgical technique requiring no a hospital stay. Additionally, the prostate cancer tissue is destroyed without the radiation exposure. HIFU is repeatable should re-treatment become necessary later on. Additionally, HIFU may be used to treat recurrent prostate cancer which was initially treated by other means, like radiation or proton therapy. Another impressive using HIFU to treat localized prostate cancer depends on emerging successes with focal therapy of prostate cancer. Over these select cases, studies would be performed to be sure a low-volume of prostate type of cancer limited by one lobe or perhaps a specific focal site within the prostate. The involved lobe or specific site from the patient's cancer of the prostate would then be focally treated. Candidates for focal HIFU include men with low-volume (less than or equal to 3 cores positive for cancer, no core with in excess of 50% positive), Gleason Score of 6 or less, and a PSA of under 10. These men would undergo "template" or "saturation" biopsies with greater to 24 cores evaluated. Recent surveys looking at focal therapy of prostate cancer in very select men with low-volume disease are emerging and early results look promising although no long lasting details are yet available. Early brings about some research has revealed around 90% recurrence free survival following focal therapy in assessed men. Incontinence rates following focal HIFU were 0 to 1% and impotence problems rates below 5% in a study investigating results at three and 6 months following treatment.
HIFU is a minimally invasive treatment selection for men with low- to intermediate-risk prostate kind of cancer. The true secret to its success as with every selections for treatment is in appropriate candidate selection. HIFU is performed internationally which is currently undergoing numerous studies for FDA approval in america. American urologists are competent in performing HIFU and use American teams internationally as a way to offer this treatment to appropriately selected patients interested in HIFU as a method of treating their prostate kind of cancer. As always, be sure you discuss all options along with your urologist like the risks, benefits and alternatives to each before you make an educated decision regarding treatments for your cancer of the prostate. Maintain open and honest discussions using your doctor when considering these options because the step to your success is finding the treatment you want plus your particular cancer the most effective.
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