Ultrasound ablation of prostate cancer

Intensive directional ultrasound was used for prostate cancer therapy

Mikhail Orlov, Naked Science

In a new study, instead of a surgeon's scalpel and radiation for the treatment of prostate cancer — the most common cancer in men — a focused ultrasound of high intensity was successfully used, which was controlled using magnetic resonance imaging. The method has shown high efficiency and safety — probably, soon it will be used to treat patients without hospitalization.

In oncology, in particular for the treatment of prostate cancer, the so—called focal therapy is becoming increasingly popular - that is, partial destruction (ablation) of the glands. It is especially suitable for patients with a moderate risk of complications — for example, with a small single prostate tumor.

At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the USA, researchers — doctors and biologists — have created an advanced version of focal therapy based on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), which is controlled using an MRI device.

Recall: ultrasound is not electromagnetic radiation, like gamma rays or light, but sound vibrations with very high frequency and energy. In this case, unlike, say, an ultrasound device, ultrasound purposefully damages the tissue in a strictly defined area.

An important success of oncologists was the completion of a clinical trial of a new approach. This minimally invasive (that is, associated with less tissue damage and possible complications) method showed good results and helped many male patients with diagnosed prostate cancer, for whom the risk of complications was assessed as average.

This conclusion was made possible by the second phase of clinical trials conducted under the guidance of oncologist-surgeon, specialist in cancer of the genitourinary system Behfar Ehdai (Behfar Ehdaie). It turned out that MRI-guided ultrasound successfully controls the development of the disease and avoids many side effects associated with standard therapy. Most often these are problems with urination and sexual life.

It turns out that if prostate cancer has not turned into a severe form, it will soon be possible to treat it without surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and even on an outpatient basis. The patient goes to the clinic, undergoes the procedure — and goes home the same day.

"We are convinced that this new therapeutic strategy will improve the quality of life of many people with prostate cancer,— Dr. Ehdai said. — This is reminiscent of the situation with breast cancer 30 years ago, so our focal therapy can be called "male lumpectomy". Instead of completely removing prostate or breast tissue, we can now safely and effectively affect individual areas of them and thereby make life easier for our patients."

The results of these clinical trials are published in a new issue of the leading scientific journal Lancet (Ehdaie et al., MRI-guided focused ultrasound focal therapy for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer: a phase 2b, multicentre study).

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru