Ultrasound Treatment Proves Helpful to Prostate Cancer Sufferers

The researchers tracked all the patients for at least five years and concluded that HIFU is effective in treating prostate cancer where the cancer has not metastasized outside the prostate, and that HIFU is a valid alternative to radiotherapy.

HIFU is a minimally invasive treatment for localized prostate cancer in which precisely targeted ultrasound waves are focused within the prostate and instantly destroy cancerous cells. The treatment lasts one to three hours and, unlike surgery or radiation therapy, can be repeated if necessary. The researchers reported that these results show that HIFU is not only an effective treatment option for prostate cancer, but that the side-effects such as incontinence and impotence are milder than those of other treatments.

Study co-author and leading prostate cancer specialist Dr. Andreas Blana, from the department of urology, University of Regensburg, said, "This study is the first of its kind in examining the long-term results of HIFU treatment. This innovative and revolutionary treatment clearly has the capacity to help men with prostate cancer all around the world. Indeed, I would say it is an ideal treatment option for men with localized prostate cancer and it should be part of a doctor's armory when treating the disease.”


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University of Regensburg