Prostate cancer is the number one cancer affecting men in North America. Approximately 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Therefore, it is not surprising that alternative treatments to surgery and radiation have been in such high demand. A newer treatment method that is proving safe and effective in treating organ-confined prostate cancer is HIFU.
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound – HIFU
HIFU is a procedure developed to destroy cancer cells in the prostate gland.
Cancer cells group together into tumors. Cells, being abnormal, live longer than healthy cells, reproduce and multiply creating more abnormal cells; hence the reason why they grow in masses called tumors.
The HIFU device uses focused ultrasound waves to heat the tissue of these tumors to 80°C and destroy them.
The treatment
The procedure is not invasive. No surgical means are required and no incisions are made.
HIFU patients are placed on their side and anesthetized. The HIFU probe is inserted into the patient’s rectum until it is next to the prostate. An MRI of the prostate is taken to map the inside of the glans penis. Tissue masses or tumors are identified. Information about the location and size of any tumors found is fed into the device’s computer. These regions are then selected for HIFU treatment.
The HIFU device then sends a pulse to each of these areas. The affected tissue is heated and destroyed. Healthy tissue adjacent to the heated area is not touched because the HIFU device only affects a few cubic millimeters of area with each pulse.
If a patient’s entire prostate gland has been infected with cancer, the entire area can become hot and destroyed. Scanning and targeting the entire gland would take up to 3-4 hours.
Once all the scanning and orientation is complete, a catheter is installed in the patient and the patient is allowed to recover from the effects of anesthesia. When the anesthesia wears off, the patient can go home until a follow-up appointment in two weeks. There are no restrictions on the patient’s diet as a result of the HIFU treatment. Restrictions prescribed by the patient’s physician prior to treatment will remain in effect.
An antibiotic is prescribed to last for 2 weeks to deal with any possibility of infection that may result.
Follow up
Doctors expect some immediate side effects as a result of this procedure. The prostate will swell from the effects of the HIFU treatment. Some urinary incontinence is expected due to swelling. Also, some patients experience some bleeding in the urine stream, usually only at the beginning of the urine stream.
After 2 weeks, the catheter is removed. Urinary function is expected to be normal at this time.
Blood samples are taken to assess PSA levels at the follow-up appointment and again every 3 months, probably for about a year. PSA levels are expected to rise during the first 3 to 6 months. After that they are expected to return to normal.
Tissue samples may be taken and sent for a biopsy after about a year to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
Catch it in the early stages
As long as prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland, it can be treated with HIFU. The cure rate for men with confined prostate cancer is up to 90%.
HIFU for prostate cancer is an effective and curative procedure with no reduction in quality of life and fewer significant side effects. Find out if you are a candidate for Ablatherm HIFU.