HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) is one of the newer treatments for prostate cancer. Although not yet approved in the United States it has received a lot of press and growing popularity as a primary treatment option. There are a number of European countries already using it as a regular treatment modality and there are a number of treatment trials on going in the U.S.
UCLA urologists have announced an open enrollment for men on the West Coast of a national study using (HIFU) to treat recurrent prostate cancer, recurrent following radiation therapy.
This investigational HIFU treatment is being offered at UCLA on an out-patient basis. There is no placebo arm in the study and all study-related costs are borne by the sponsor, USHIFU.
“Many patients who receive radiation (X-ray) therapy for prostate cancer suffer recurrent disease,” said Dr. Leonard Marks, principal investigator and professor of urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “This new treatment may offer an effective non-invasive option to eradicate recurrent cancer.”
What is HIFU? It is a technique that, under anesthesia, aims sound waves at the prostate tissue. These sound waves rapidly increases tissue temperat