This therapy is now widely available as an alternative
therapeutic option for prostate cancer which presents
the advantages of a non-invasive
treatment: precise local treatment in one session,
repeatable if necessary, with a short period of hospitalization
and a low complication rate.
This treatment
is recommended for patients with localized prostate
cancer (stage
T1-T2) who are not candidates for a prostatectomy (because
of their age, their general state of being or an
associated
disease) or patients who want an alternative to surgery.
Additionally, this treatment can be used for patients
who have local recurrence after external radiotherapy
("salvage" treatment).
The treatment is performed
transrectally, generally under spinal anesthesia. A probe
is placed in the rectum. This probe emits a beam of high intensity convergent ultrasound. In the point
where the
ultrasounds are focused (focal point) the sudden and
intense absorption of the ultrasound beam creates a
sudden elevation
of the temperature (from 85 to 100°C) which destroys
the cells located in the targeted zone.
Evolution of the number of centres using Ablatherm HIFU in Europe since 2001.
Evolution of the number of patients treated with Ablatherm HIFU since 1993
