High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a new type of non-invasive prostate cancer treatment that offers a targeted approach to dealing with cancerous cells through the use of ultrasound energy, or sound waves. When precisely performed by your Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez, HIFU has the ability to heat up and destroy cancerous tissues within the prostate gland, while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue intact.
The treatment involves the use of a focused ultrasound beam that provides a temperature of about 90°C on the cancerous tissue to destroy the diseased cells in their entirety.
There are a number of advantages HIFU provides over traditional treatment options for prostate cancer:
- HIFU is performed as an outpatient procedure, and no general anesthetic required.
- The treatment can be completed within a maximum time of four hours, depending on the size of the infected area.
- Because it’s a non-invasive treatment, patients need very little recovery time.
- No blood loss or scarring is caused by HIFU therapy.
- There is no increasing effect like there is with radiation therapy, which means that the procedure can be repeated if and when it’s necessary, without any additional risk that healthy tissue in the prostate gland might be negatively affected.
- HIFU is an option for those patients who have unsuccessfully tried other forms of therapy to cure their prostate cancer.
For those patients who are seeking a truly non-invasive treatment for prostate cancer that doesn’t require a resection of the prostate, HIFU is the only option available.
Your Miami urologist finds that HIFU is most effective on men who are suffering from localized, early stage prostate cancer that hasn’t spread to another part of the body. Of course, no two cases are the same, so patients should always discuss their medical history and diagnosis with their urologist to determine if HIFU is the best treatment for them.
If you have any questions regarding the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound for the treatment of prostate cancer, call the office of best Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez today to schedule a consultation.
