Basically, HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) makes use of ultrasound energy of high frequency to heat and to kill the cancer cells in prostate. Since prostate is deep in the pelvis, the beam of ultrasound energy is travelled to the back passage called rectum.
The doctors normally call it a transrectal probe. The ultrasound energy can direct beams exactly at prostate from that position.
When HIFU can be used?
Many results have shown that Hifu treatment for prostate cancer can be one of the best treatments, if the cancer is developed inside the prostate. It can be an option when the prostate cancer has eventually started to break out of the prostate or has started spreading to surrounding area.
It can also be used to treat the cancerous tumor that has again come back after the radiotherapy. This is normally termed as salvage HIFU. HIFU is new, as compared to some other treatments for the prostate cancer.
It is recommended that HIFU must only be used as clinical trials that use HIFU rather than radiotherapy or surgery. If you happen to go to the HIFU trial for the prostate cancer, then your doctors need to ensure that you know the following things.
- All the key things involved in the treatment
- That they don’t know all the details about the side effects yet
- What kind of other treatment alternatives you have
- That they don’t fully know how long term effects of HIFU would be there as compared to other treatment options
The doctors should also monitor all patients having HIFU, so that to learn more details about the long term benefits and effects involved in it. You would need to sign consent form saying that all of the above details have properly been explained to you before having the treatment.
Great benefits of HIFU
It should be noted that what serves as a benefit for one might not be a benefit for other. So, talk to your doctor about your situation. They will definitely help you choose just the right treatment according to your case. Some of the possible advantages of Hifu prostate cancer treatment are as follows.
- You will only require short stay at the hospital. You can even go home on the treatment day itself.
- HIFU doesn’t include any kind of needles or cuts to your skin. It just involves a needle in the hand to give general anesthetic.
- The recovery time is usually 1-2 weeks, which is very short as compared to other treatment options.
- After HIFU, you can even opt for other treatments, if the cancer comes back. These treatment options include radiotherapy or surgery.
- Moreover, you may even be able to have HIFU treatment again if the cancer comes back after the first treatment. This is not the case with other treatment options.
The Prostate Cancer Institute is a leading practice having exceptional knowledge and expertise of the most advanced and innovative technologies. Visit their website to get the most effective diagnostics of the prostate cancer and its related treatments.