Non-Surgical Treatment for Prostate Cancer: HIFU
- Non-surgical treatment for prostate cancer: HIFU
- What is the HIFU method?
- For which patients is the HIFU method suitable?
- How is HIFU administered?
- Steps to Take Regarding the Transaction
- What are the characteristics of the HIFU method? What are its advantages?
- Side Effect Profile
- Who Should Not Undergo HIFU Treatment?
- Frequently Asked Questions About HIFU
Non-surgical treatment for prostate cancer: HIFU
To put it simply, the HIFU technique involves using sound waves to heat and destroy cancerous tissue in the prostate. It is a non-invasive, surgery-free treatment for prostate cancer—a condition that is quite common in men—that targets only the tumor and has few side effects.
What is the HIFU method?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and there are various treatment options depending on the stage of the disease. Surgery and radiation therapy are the most commonly used methods, but they can have side effects that impair quality of life, such as urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction.
In line with advances in technology, High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)—a non-surgical treatment option—is frequently used in suitable patients to prevent these side effects. HIFU technology enables the treatment of only the diseased area of the prostate in prostate cancer through a non-surgical, targeted approach. Since surrounding tissues are not damaged, side effects such as urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction are rarely observed.
How Is an Overactive Bladder Treated?
The HIFU method is primarily used in the early stages of prostate cancer, in patients with small, non-metastatic tumors. Patients for whom the HIFU method is recommended include:
- Young patients who do not want to experience urinary problems and have an active sex life
- Patients with early-stage cancer, specifically at stage T1 or T2
- Patients who cannot undergo surgery due to their age or general health condition
- Patients seeking minimally invasive treatment options
- Patients who have previously undergone abdominal surgery
- HIFU is an important alternative treatment option as “salvage therapy” for cancers that recur after radiation therapy
How is HIFU administered?
HIFU treatment forprostate canceris performed under light anesthesia. A probe is inserted through the rectum to deliver high-intensity ultrasound waves to the cancerous area of the prostate. As these waves are absorbed, the temperature rises to 85–100 degrees, destroying only the cancerous cells. This allows for targeted treatment while preserving the surrounding healthy prostate tissue.
The duration of the HIFU procedure is directly proportional to the size of the treatment area. The procedure typically lasts between 1 and 2 hours, but the duration may be longer if the treatment area is large.
Steps to Take Regarding the Transaction
On the morning of your HIFU treatment, you will be given an enema to empty your bowels.
A catheter is inserted at the start of treatment to drain urine from the bladder.
The patient is administered sedation or anesthesia sufficient to prevent the sensation of pain.
You will typically have a catheter in place for 3 to 7 days after treatment. (This is to drain urine from your bladder until the post-procedure inflammation subsides.)
If you are planning to have children, you may want to consider sperm preservation methods for use in fertility treatment before undergoing HIFU.
What are the characteristics of the HIFU method? What are its advantages?
- It helps prevent sexual dysfunction and maintains urinary control.
- In open surgeries, patients stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 days. Since radiation therapy lasts 30 days, patients must come to the hospital almost every day. The HIFU procedure, however, is a single-session treatment. Patients who undergo HIFU can return home after staying in the hospital for one night. If the procedure is performed in the morning, patients can be discharged that same evening.
- The risk of complications is low.
- It can be easily administered in cases of recurrence following open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, radiation therapy, or HIFU.
- It allows for treatment of cancerous tissue without damaging surrounding organs and tissues.
- There is no exposure to the harmful effects of radiation.
- Patients who are not suitable candidates for surgery can benefit from HIFU.
- Although the pain threshold varies from person to person, the HIFU procedure is considered a painless treatment.
- It can be used in elderly patients who cannot undergo anesthesia.
Side Effect Profile
In general, HIFU has fewer side effects than other treatments.
- Urinary problems
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Urinary incontinence
- Rarely being unable to urinate
- the presence of small pieces of prostate tissue in your urine
- Difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.
- The absence of semen during ejaculation (semen entering the bladder)
- In rare cases, a fistula may form between the anal canal and the urethra following treatment (resulting in feces in the urine)
Who Should Not Undergo HIFU Treatment?
Very large prostate volume (In some cases, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is performed first to remove the portion of the prostate surrounding the urinary tract)
The anus is very narrow (to the extent that it could prevent the HIFU probe from entering the rectum)
The presence of a large number of prostate stones (which may lead to HIFU scattering and transmission issues)
Frequently Asked Questions About HIFU ?
Can HIFU be used to treat benign prostate enlargement?
HIFU is a treatment method used exclusively for prostate cancer.
Can it be performed in later years?
HIFU can be used in men of any age with prostate cancer, depending on the patient's eligibility for treatment.
Is the entire prostate destroyed using ultrasound waves?
In the HIFU procedure, only the cancerous tissues of the prostate are targeted, and heat is generated specifically at that location using focused ultrasound waves. As a result, surrounding tissues remain unharmed, and the prostate is able to continue performing all of its functions.