Global Courant
Prostate cancer is the number one cancer in men in North America. About 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It is therefore no wonder that alternative treatments to surgery and radiation are in such demand. A newer treatment method that is proving safe and effective in treating prostate cancer with limited organs is HIFU.
High Intensity Ultrasound – HIFU
HIFU is a procedure designed to destroy cancer cells in the prostate gland.
Cancer cells accumulate into tumors. The cells, which are abnormal, live longer than healthy cells, reproduce and multiply and create more abnormal cells; hence the reason they grow into masses called tumors.
The HIFU device uses focused ultrasound waves to heat the tissue in these tumors to 80°C and destroy them.
The treatment
The procedure is non-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 scan of the prostate is done to map the inside of the gland. Masses of tissue or tumors are identified. The information about the location and size of any tumors found is entered into the device’s computer. These regions are then targeted for the HIFU treatment.
The HIFU device then sends a pulse to each of these zones. The affected tissue is heated and destroyed. Healthy tissue adjacent to the heated area remains untouched because the HIFU device affects only a few cubic mm of area with each pulse.
If a patient’s entire prostate gland is infected with cancer, the entire area can be heated and destroyed. Scanning and targeting the entire gland would take up to 3 or 4 hours.
After all scanning and targeting is complete, the patient has a catheter installed and can recover from the effects of the anesthesia. When the anesthesia has worn off, the patient can go home until a check-up appointment after two weeks. There are no restrictions on the patient’s diet as a result of the HIFU treatment. Any restrictions prescribed by the patient’s physician prior to treatment remain in effect.
An antibiotic is prescribed and lasts for 2 weeks to cope with the chance of infection resulting from it.
Follow up
Doctors expect some immediate aftereffects from this procedure. The prostate gland will swell from the effects of the HIFU treatment. Due to the swelling, some urinary incontinence is expected. In addition, some patients experience some bleeding in the urine stream, usually only at the beginning of the urine stream.
After the 2 weeks, the catheter is removed. Urinary function is expected to be normal by then.
Blood samples are taken to test for PSA levels at the follow-up appointment and again every 3 months, probably for about a year. PSA levels are expected to rise for the first 3 to 6 months. After that, they are expected to return to normal.
Tissue samples can be taken after about a year and submitted for biopsy to determine the effectiveness of treatment.
Catch it in the early stages
As long as the prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland, it can be treated with HIFU. The cure rate for men with prostate cancer is as high as 90%.
HIFU for prostate cancer is an effective and curative procedure with no reduction in quality of life and with less significant side effects. Find out if you are a candidate for Ablatherm HIFU.
HIFUFor the treatment of prostate cancer
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