A Review of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound Focal Therapy Results Using the MRI Ultrasound Fusion

Abstract

To provide its therapeutic effects, High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment makes use of ultrasonic waves that are transmitted through tissue medium. This non-invasive technology shows capacity for a variety of medical applications, including tumor ablation, vascular coagulation, and gene and drug delivery. Nonetheless, there are many problems that can arise from using this technology. The goal of this research was to examine the effectiveness of focused HIFU treatment for prostate cancer by employing an MRI-US fusion platform to pinpoint the precise location of the tumor and administer the therapy. Focal HIFU treatment for locally advanced prostate cancer is a prospective case series employed in this article. There must not be a Gleason 5 signal on the prostatic biopsy and the focal lesion must be less than 20 mm in size on multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for inclusion. The first half of the series were treated with traditional HIFU focused treatment, whereas the second half were treated using an MRI-US fusion platform. Requirement for salvage treatment was used as the major outcome measure of treatment efficacy. Results of supplementary interest were Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) change, intraoperative morbidity, postoperative clinical outcome, and tumor resurgence in follow-up biopsies.