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This report, and others have been circulating all this week and I don't understand why it is. The concept of HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound)is hardly new. One of our Yana members Dennis Moore chose that option almost 10 years ago.
Although the media release plays down the question of side effects, there can be very real problems and anone considering having this procedure might do well to read the stories on the site by going to SURVIVORS STORIES and choosing "Uncommon or Experimental Therapy" and then clicking on HIFU or Focal HIFU
This report has been picked up in the press this week following a report in "The Lancet" here in the UK of a two year follow up of a trial involving only 42 carefully selected patients with PSA less than or equal to 15 and Gleason of seven or less.
The cohort is too small and the follow-up too soon to say that this particular technique will have wide-spread application in the UK and offer advantages over (for example) EBRT or CyberKife which got some TV publicity here recently. Trials involving many more patients over a much longer period will be needed. I guess one can't blame the oncologist concerned for getting himself some publicity, but PCa survivors need to keep a sense of perspective that he perhaps lacks!
There are many studies involving HIFU and all of them have a extremely high reoccurrance rate compare to conventional treatments. Many European countries have stopped recommending HIFU as treatment because of this reason.
