High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been added to the array of treatment options at Penn Urology for a subset of patients with local, low-to-intermediate prostate cancer.
A non-invasive FDA-approved therapy, HIFU is available to men seeking an alternative to whole gland therapies like surgery, radiotherapy (SBRT or brachytherapy), or those not suitable for active surveillance.
Penn Urology is the first program to offer this treatment locally in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The Mechanics of HIFU
HIFU employs concentrated high-intensity sound waves originating from a transducer placed at the rectal wall to heat and ablate cancer cells in the affected region of the prostate gland. Patients are under general anesthesia to prevent movement during the procedure, and predetermined imaging maps and MRI guidance are used to precisely target and ablate the cancer.
Advantages
HIFU has a number of advantages with regard to safety, efficacy, and quality of life:
- As a focal therapy, HIFU has the advantage of limiting its effect to cancerous tissue, thereby preserving normal tissue and the structures surrounding the prostate, including the rectal wall through which the sound waves travel.
- Because HIFU treats only a region of the prostate and avoids the nerves, urethra and bladder, side effects of whole-gland treatment like incontinence and erectile dysfunction are minimized.
- The procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure at Penn Urology Perelman. Penn Medicine plans to offer the treatment at additional locations soon. Since it’s non-invasive, there is less risk of complications and a faster recovery time.
- Outcomes are excellent with regard to disease-free intervals and other measures of efficacy and, if more treatment is needed, men are still eligible for surgery or radiation.
Candidate Considerations
Like all cancer therapies, HIFU is associated with certain technical limitations and all men will not be eligible for this therapy based on individual tumor or patient characteristics. In general, because HIFU is delivered through the rectal wall, tumors must be located near the posterior of the prostate. Although rare, urethral strictures, rectourethral fistulas and infections have been documented following HIFU.
Prostate cancer experts at Penn Urology can help men determine if they are eligible for HIFU focal therapy and if that is the right choice given the wide array of prostate cancer management strategies available at Penn.
Please call 215-662-2891 to learn more about HIFU and other focal therapies available at Penn Urology for prostate cancer.