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Technology Insight: high-intensity focused ultrasound for urologic cancers

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 2, pages 191–198 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The growing interest in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technology is mainly due to its many potential applications as a minimally invasive therapy. It has been introduced to urologic oncology as a treatment for prostate and kidney cancers. While its application in the kidney is still at the clinical feasibility phase, HIFU technology is currently used in daily practice in Europe for the treatment of prostate cancer. Literature describing the results of HIFU for prostate cancer is mainly based on several series of patients from clinical development teams. The latest published results suggest that HIFU treatment is a valuable option for well-differentiated and moderately-differentiated tumors, as well as for local recurrence after external-beam radiation therapy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Jean-Yves Chapelon PhD and Laura Curiel PhD from the INSERM U556 for their assistance in the description of technological aspects of HIFU.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology of the University-Associated City Hospital Munich-Harlaching, Germany

    Christian Chaussy, Stefan Thüroff, Xavier Rebillard & Albert Gelet

  2. Department of Urology,

    Christian Chaussy, Stefan Thüroff, Xavier Rebillard & Albert Gelet

  3. Clinique Mutualiste Beau-Soleil, Montpellier, France

    Christian Chaussy, Stefan Thüroff, Xavier Rebillard & Albert Gelet

  4. Therapeutic Ultrasound Research Laboratory, INSERM, Lyon, France

    Christian Chaussy, Stefan Thüroff, Xavier Rebillard & Albert Gelet

Authors
  1. Christian Chaussy
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  2. Stefan Thüroff
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  3. Xavier Rebillard
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  4. Albert Gelet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Chaussy.

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Competing interests

Albert Gelet is a Clinical Investigator for the Ablatherm® device (EDAP TMS SA, Vaulx-en-Velin, France) and has received support from EDAP TMS SA to attend symposia.

Glossary

CAVITATION

Formation, growth and implosive collapse of bubbles in a liquid irradiated with high-intensity ultrasound resulting in intense local heating

ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

A measure of the acoustic energy converted into heat in the tissues

THERMAL DOSE

Equivalent time in seconds for an exposure at a reference temperature of 43°C

SONICATON PARAMETERS

Physical properties whose values determine the behavior of the sound wave applied to tissues

OPERATING FREQUENCY

Number of complete oscillations per second of the sound wave generated by the transducer

PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS

Crystals that suffer a mechanical deformation when subjected to an electric potential

POWER DENSITY

Power per unit area normal to the direction of propagation

ACOUSTIC INTENSITY

The mean acoustic power transmitted through a unit area

DURATION of EXPOSURE

Time during which the sound wave is applied to the tissues at each burst of high-intensity focused ultrasound

ON/OFF RATIO

Quotient of exposure duration and waiting time between bursts of high-intensity focused ultrasound

DUNNING R3327

Experimental model of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in Copenhagen rats

AT2, AT6

Hormone-independent sublines of Dunning R3327

NADIR PSA

Lowest level of prostate-specific antigen achieved after treatment

GLEASON SCORE

Sum of grades assigned to the two largest cancerous areas of tissue samples; grades range from 1 (least aggressive) to 5 (most aggressive)

STRESS INCONTINENCE

Impaired urethral sphincter function leads to involuntary leakage of urine during physical exertion with increased intra-abdominal pressure

RESECTION CHIPS

Small prostate tissue pieces resulting from transurethral resection of the prostate

SECONDARY INFRAVESICAL OBSTRUCTION

Strictures of the bladder neck or of the urethra after a prostate treatment procedure

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Chaussy, C., Thüroff, S., Rebillard, X. et al. Technology Insight: high-intensity focused ultrasound for urologic cancers. Nat Rev Urol 2, 191–198 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro0150

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