High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Prostate Cancer
Table of Contents
For patients with prostate cancer, HIFU technology is used to destroy prostate tissue by focusing high-intensity ultrasound waves on the affected area. It causes localized heating that destroys the prostate cancer cells without damaging the healthy surrounding tissue. Not all prostate cancers or prostate sizes are appropriate for HIFU. Typically, for this procedure, prostates have to be relatively small or mildly enlarged and cannot have too many calcifications that could interfere with the ultrasound waves moving through the prostate tissue.
Advantages of HIFU Treatments
HIFU’s real-time imaging allows for precise local ablation (removal) in one session under general anesthesia. It is repeatable, if necessary, with low risk of side effects.
- Non-invasive with no blade, no scar, no radiation, or incision
- Low risk of side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction
- Preserves quality of life with minimal time away from work and leisure activities
How It Works
HIFU works in the same way as rays of sunlight that pass through a magnifying glass and are concentrated at a single point, causing a significant temperature increase around the focal point. The ultrasound beams can pass through layers of tissue (such as your skin) – leaving them unharmed – as they reach their target.
What to Expect
- Prostate imaging – The whole prostate is scanned by the transrectal ultrasound imaging probe and displayed on the screen as a three-dimensional reconstruction of the area to be treated.
- Treatment planning – On a computer screen, your urologist plans each step of the procedure, precisely targeting the area to be treated.
- HIFU energy delivery – The system automatically determines the optimal number of lesions based on the planning and produces High Intensity Focused Ultrasound waves to destroy the targeted cells.
Recovery
At the end of the procedure, a temporary urinary catheter will be placed to limit the risk of urinary retention due to the temporary swelling. The catheter will be removed at the first follow-up visit just a few days later.
Typical follow-up includes PSA testing at three months, six months, and one year, as well as an MRI and potentially follow-up biopsies at one year to evaluate the result. This follow-up can be performed by the treating urologist, or, if you traveled from a remote location, your local urologist.
