HIFU NON-SURGERY TREATMENT IN PROSTATE CANCER

It is a non-invasive surgical ablation method aimed at the treatment of prostate cancer using high-intensity focused ultrasound energy, accompanied by live ultrasound image guidance.

It is aimed to destroy the cancerous area by transmitting high-intensity ultrasound energy to the cancer foci determined by MRI in the prostate through the rectal wall.

High-intensity ultrasound sound waves rapidly increase the temperature of the targeted prostate tissue, destroying cancerous lesions, and providing treatment without damaging the surrounding tissues.

Erectile nerves are not touched (on one or both sides) to avoid erection problems. Urine retention structure is preserved.

Basic patient selection criteria:

patients over 50 years old

T1c – T2a localized prostate cancer
PSA value less than 10 ng/ml
Cancer confined to a single lobe
Gleason score less than 6

Advantages:

– Noninvasive, bloodless procedure

– Customizable, customizable energy pulses

– Minimum hospital stay

– Non-radiation therapy

– Low side effects

FOCAL TREATMENT (HIFU), SURGERY-RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY CAN IT BE AN ALTERNATIVE?

In a study led by Professor Hashim Ahmed, who is the world’s leading authority on prostate cancer at the “Imperial College, Department of Surgery and Cancer” in London, it was aimed to compare the effectiveness of focal therapy (FT) with radical prostatectomy (RP) patients.

This comparison showed that HIFU therapy is equivalent to radical prostatectomy in the treatment of prostate cancer. The fact that HIFU patients only stay in the hospital for a few hours and that very few personnel are needed in the operating room for this procedure made it a treatment alternative, especially during this Covid pandemic.

Hashim continued, adding that focal therapy has shown that with appropriate error selection, cancer control has been achieved more than 8 years after treatment, similar to that in radical prostatectomy patients. He explained that although focal treatment is not suitable for every patient, thousands of eligible patients should be told about Focal treatment and its advantages.

After the HIFU treatment performed under anesthesia in the operating room, the patient can stay in the hospital for one night and go home the next day.