Focal treatment of prostate cancers with HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) technology has arrived! Up until recently, men diagnosed with significant prostate cancer could only undergo whole gland therapy: either have the entire prostate surgically removed, or have the entire prostate radiated. On the other hand, men with smaller volumes of less aggressive prostate cancer could opt to be placed on active surveillance, where their prostate is monitored clinically, until the cancer grows to a significant volume or aggressiveness, at which point the entire prostate is treated with either surgery or radiation therapy.
Some of the side-effects with surgery or radiation include developing urinary difficulties (such as urinary incontinence or urinary frequency) or sexual dysfunction, such as loss of erections.
However, in many other types of cancer, the entire organ does not need to be completely removed. Dr. Kia Michel, the director of Prostate Cancer Institute of LA, describes: “if the cancer is detected in it’s early phase of disease, then we only need to remove the cancerous tissue (with a small margin of normal tissue) and the normal prostatic tissue is preserved”.
What are the Advantages of Focal Therapy?
Gland preservation or “focal” options have the advantage of sparing the normal tissue, and thereby preserving the normal function of the organ. For example, many years ago, women diagnosed with breast cancer were only offered a total mastectomy, where the entire breast was removed. With improvements in breast cancer localization, the majority of women only undergo a “lumpectomy,” where only the “lump” of breast cancer is removed and the rest of the normal, healthy breast is preserved.
However, a prostate “lumpectomy” has not been available to men with prostate cancer until now. With improvements in prostate imaging (multi-parametric MRI of the prostate), and improved prostate mapping techniques at the time of prostate biopsies (MRI fusion biopsies), men can now be diagnosed when their prostate cancer is still localized. Given the improvements in imaging, the location of the cancer can now be clearly identified in most men.
By knowing the exact location of the cancer, a “prostate lumpectomy” using HIFU can be performed, where only the cancerous tissue is destroyed (with a small margin of normal tissue) and the normal tissue is preserved. HIFU utilizes otherwise harmless ultrasound waves to destroy tissue. By focusing multiple ultrasound waves on a single point, heat can be delivered with extreme accuracy. Creating enough heat will destroy the targeted tissue, while not harming the surrounding areas. By identifying the location of the cancer, delivering HIFU energy with pin-point accuracy, and preserving the normal prostate tissue, men can be cured of their prostate cancer, while often avoiding the traditional side-effects associated with prostate cancer therapies such as erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence.
What to Expect from Focal Therapy
Focal therapy with HIFU is quite simple. At Prostate Cancer Institute of LA, it is performed as an outpatient procedure by Dr. Michel and most men resume their normal activities by the next day. By being able to preserve the normal prostate tissue, erectile function and urinary control can be preserved in most men. Since the advent of HIFU prostate cancer focal therapy, more and more men are seeking this option for their treatment. HIFU focal therapy is not an option for all men diagnosed with prostate cancer, but for those men who are candidates, it can be a life saving procedure and a quality of life saving procedure. Dr. Michel is one of the experts in the United States who has helped develop HIFU focal therapy treatments for men with prostate cancer.
Contact a HIFU Specialist Today
For many, urological surgeries can be frightening, leading to hesitancy on much needed procedures. The Prostate Cancer Institute of LA are dedicated to providing the best possible care for cancer, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and much more. We provide surgical techniques that result in the best results, the shortest recovery, and the smallest chances for complications. To learn more about how we can help you or your loved one overcome a serious condition, contact us and set up an appointment today.
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