HIFU, which stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, is a prostate cancer treatment option that ultrasound waves to destroy the prostate gland and the cancer cells it contains. During a HIFU procedure, the surgeon uses a transducer to deliver high intensity ultrasound to a focal point within the prostate. The tissue at the focal point is heated and destroyed. The physician then moves the device to another location, changing the focal point. This process is repeated until the gland is destroyed.

A Closer Look

The HIFU procedure works in much the same way as a magnifying glass works with the rays of the sun. When a child takes a magnifying glass and points it towards the sun, the sun’s rays are focused at a specific point just past the lens. A leaf or stick that is placed at this point will burn because of the intense heat created by the focused light rays. However, before this point and beyond this point, the light is harmless. That point where the sun’s rays are hot is known as the focal point.

In a similar fashion, HIFU allows the physician to focus intense ultrasound waves at a single focal point. At that point alone, the tissue is heated and destroyed. In the HIFU procedure the magnifying glass is traded for the transducer, and the sun’s rays are traded for sound waves. The basic scientific principle, however, remains the same. Because the sound waves are only damaging at the focal point, they can safely travel through the tissue surrounding the prostate without causing damage.

Prostate Cancer Treatment with HIFU

When a physician is treating prostate cancer with HIFU, he will target a specific number of focal zones within the prostate gland. The physician will also capture images of the gland during treatment. This allows him to monitor the progress as the prostate is destroyed and tailor the treatment to the patient’s unique physiology.

When used to treat prostate cancer, HIFU generally takes less than three hours. It rarely needs to be repeated and does not leave behind radiation or other damaging materials. To find out if you qualify for HIFU, contact us or call our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Reine.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The Sonablate® 500 is not approved for use in the U.S. The Sonablate® 500 remains investigational in the U.S. and is being studied for the treatment of prostate cancer in clinical trials in the U.S. FDA has made no decision as to the safety or efficacy of the Sonablate® 500 for the treatment of prostate cancer. Currently, the device is approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in Canada and the Dominican Republic, authorized in Argentina, and available in the Bahamas and Mexico.

If the Sonablate® 500 is approved by the FDA for use in the U.S., there is no assurance that instructions for use or the specifications of the device will be the same as the device and treatment approved or authorized in other countries outside of the U.S.