HIFU, or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, is a minimally invasive technique for treatment of localized prostate cancer. HIFU focuses ultrasound energy as well as sound waves to a targeted area in the prostate leading to rapid temperature increases and focal ablation of the treatment zone with great precision. In most cases, HIFU is carried out on an outpatient basis in one to 4 hours dependent on the size of the prostate. The largest benefit of HIFU is an extremely small incontinence rate of under 2 % and a post treatment erectile dysfunction rate of 20 to thirty %. The key to good results with HIFU, however, is adequate patient selection. Candidates include males with low- to intermediate risk localized prostate cancer (i.e., no spread of cancer outside the prostate). These males would have medical stage T1 or maybe T2b disease (i.e., no palpable nodule or nodule confined one lobe of the prostate), Gleason score of 7 or perhaps less (preferably not better than Gleason Score 3+4=7), PSA quality of under twenty, in addition to a prostate volume of 40 grams or perhaps a reduced amount of. Initial data for treatment of properly selected men with HIFU has revealed results just like other modalities with regard to localized cancer management, biochemical recurrence, along with healthy survival. Additionally, reported erectile dysfunction rates and incontinence after HIFU are extremely low at less that 2 % and twenty to 30 %, respectively.
Advantages of HIFU as a way of the treatment of select males with prostate cancer include a non-surgical, minimally invasive technique demanding no hospital stay. Additionally, the prostate cancer tissue is eliminated without light exposure. HIFU is repeatable must re-treatment be necessary down the road. Furthermore, HIFU can be used for treating recurrent prostate cancer that has been initially treated by other ways, like radiation or perhaps proton therapy. Yet another amazing use of HIFU for treatment of localized prostate cancer is in emerging positive results with focal treatment of prostate cancer. In these select instances, studies will be performed to ensure a low-volume of prostate cancer constrained to one lobe or perhaps a particular focal website within the prostate. The involved lobe or even the specific site of the patient’s prostate cancer would then be focally addressed. Applicants for focal HIFU consist of males with low volume (under or even equal to three cores beneficial for cancer, no single core with in excess of 50 % sure), Gleason Score of 6 or perhaps a reduced amount of, along with a PSA of only ten. These males would undergo “saturation” or “template” biopsies with greater to twenty four cores evaluated. The latest studies looking at focal therapy of prostate cancer in extremely select men with low volume condition are emerging and early results look promising even though no long run information is nonetheless available. Original results in a few studies show a maximum of 90 % recurrence free survival following focal therapy in closely monitored men. Incontinence rates following focal HIFU were 0 to one % as well as erectile dysfunction rates under five % in one study looking at results at 3 and 6 months following treatment.
HIFU is a minimally invasive treatment option for males with low to intermediate risk prostate cancer. The key to its success as with all alternatives for treatment lies in appropriate candidate selection. HIFU is performed throughout the world and is right now undergoing clinical trials for FDA acceptance in the US. American urologists are taught in performing HIFU and work with American teams internationally to be able to give the treatment to appropriately selected people thinking about HIFU as a method of managing the prostate cancer of theirs. As always, make sure to discuss all options together with your urologist such as the risks, benefits and alternatives to each before you make an informed decision regarding treatment of your prostate cancer. Maintain honest and open discussions with the doctor of yours when thinking about these options as the secret to the success of yours is finding the treatment that suits both you and your particular cancer the very best prostate health supplement, great site,.
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