HIFU Treatment Options

Treatment Customization

Due to the precision and flexibility of Sonablate HIFU, patients with their physician can decide on a customized treatment plan tailored to their prostate cancer diagnosis.

Standard HIFU Procedure

The standard Sonablate HIFU procedure ablates the entire prostate gland. This procedure is the most appropriate choice of Sonablate HIFU procedures for patients that have organ confined prostate cancer which is not limited to one discrete area of the prostate.

The benefits of a standard HIFU procedure:

  • 92% of patients are successfully treated1
  • Over 99% of men remain continent1
  • 70% of men retain erectile function1
  • Usually a day case
  • Non surgical
  • No radiation
  • The procedure can be repeated as necessary, and does not rule out other treatment options

Focal HIFU Therapy

Focal HIFU is an emerging technique for the treatment of prostate cancer where only the tumor is treated instead of the whole prostate gland. Focal HIFU is intended to increase the likelihood of avoiding important structures located around the prostate, which could reduce side-effects. It may be suitable for men with low or intermediate risk cancer who have a single tumor inside the prostate or several tumors all on the same side of the gland.

Benefits of a focal HIFU procedure:

  • 95% maintained potency (defined as return of erections sufficient for penetrative sex)2
  • 89% of men achieved the trifecta status (defined as pad-free, leak-free continence, erections sufficient for intercourse and cancer control at 12 months)2
  • Short procedure time (20-90 minutes)
  • Rapid return to normal life after treatment

A clinician can determine if a patient is a candidate for the standard or focal Sonablate HIFU procedure.

All medical procedures have risks and benefits; all potential side effects and complications should be discussed with a physician prior to undergoing any procedure. Please see the potential side effects section of the website for a complete list of possible complications from a HIFU procedure.

Salvage Treatment with HIFU

Sonablate HIFU may be performed on patients with histologically confirmed, locally recurrent, organ-confined, non-metastatic prostate cancer following any form of treatment for prostate cancer (e.g. radical prostatectomy, radiation, cryotherapy). This form of treatment is often referred to as a salvage treatment. A clinician will have to determine if the patient is a candidate for salvage Sonablate HIFU.

Outcomes of salvage Sonablate HIFU following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT):

  • 71% biochemical disease free rate3
  • 93% of men remain continent3

Sonablate HIFU also does not hinder future options for treatment if your prostate cancer should return after a HIFU procedure.

 

1Ahmed, HU. (2009). BJC. High-intensity-focused ultrasound in the treatment of primary prostate cancer: the first UK series, 101, 19-26.

2Ahmed, HU. (2011). Journal of Urology. Focal Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Phase I/II Trial, 185(4), 1254-5.

3Zacharakis, E. (2008). BJUI. The feasibility and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound as salvage therapy for recurrent prostate cancer following external beam radiotherapy,102, 786-792