HIFU

Worried about the side effects of chemo or radiation? Concerned that after surgery you might have trouble with bladder control or that your sex life might suffer? Looking for an alternative treatment? You might want to get your doctor's opinion about high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), an alternative prostate cancer treatment option which employs a highly targeted ultrasound beam to burn out the cancer without damaging other tissue.

Studies in Germany and Japan indicate that "High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy appears to be a safe and efficacious minimally invasive therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer, especially those with a pretreatment PSA level of less than 20 ng/ml." (from the study in Japan)

Always check with your doctor before trying anything you read here. Everyone is different, and what might be good for some people might be bad for you, considering your medical history and medications.

In Germany, 146 men, all of whom had levels of 15 ng/ml or less and Gleason scores of 7 or less, were treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound for their prostate cancer. Two years after treatment, 93.4 percent had negative biopsies, 87 percent had levels of under 1.0, and 47.3 percent maintained erectile function.

In Japan, 181 men, ages 44 to 88, who had been treated with HIFU for prostate cancer, had survival rates of 84 percent, 80 percent and 78 percent after one, three and five years, respectively. The survival rates were connected to pre-treatment PSA levels, with those who had levels of less than 10 having a 94 percent chance of surviving at least three years after treatment and those with levels over 20 having a 35 percent change of being cancer free after three years.

No study has made a direct comparison of high-intensity focused ultrasound to chemo, radiation or surgery, but a medical organization in England, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, stated that "the evidence appears adequate to support the use of this procedure for prostate cancer."

Now for the bad news: HIFU, although it is being used in other countries, is not approved in the U.S. for anything but uterine fibroids. Closer than Germany or Japan for availability of treatment (not to mention the language advantage) is Canada. To find Canadian treatment, go to www.focus-surgery.com. Click on "Clinical Trials," then click on "site" at the bottom of the page. There's also a video of the procedure here.

In the U.S., a clinical trial of HIFU prostate cancer treatment is planned in Indiana, at the Indiana University School of medicine, and, as of this writing, they are enrolling prospective patients. This information is also on the "Clinical Trials" page mentioned above.

The source for this information is Nutrition and Healing (November 2006), the newsletter of Jonathan Wright, M.D.

UPDATE: Nutrition & Healing Health e-Tips, March 19, 2008, from Jonathan Wright, M.D.

One of the reported advantages of high-intensity focused ultrasound was that it didn't damage sexual function or urinary continence, which U.S. treatments often do, because HIFU heats only the prostate to high temperatures to attack the tumor but not the surrounding areas.

Results, however, have been mixed. Incontinence and impotence do sometimes occur in HIFU patients, although rates are lower for HIFU. In addition, the success rate is well under 100%, the procedure is expensive (around $30,000 per treatment), and U.S. insurance won't cover it because this alternative treatment is not approved in the U.S.

Dr. Wright continues to recommend, as he says "the prostate-cancer-crushing effects" of two nutrients: vitamin K and vitamin C. If you're a subscriber to Nutrition & Healing newsletter, you can get details, published in November 2005, free. Or, you can subscribe at the Web site: www.wrightnewsletter.com.

You might be interested in this book, published in 2007:

The content of Alternative Medicine Digest is presented for general informational purposes only, and you should review it with your doctor before taking any action with regard to your health care. The information on alternative medicine at this site is not presented as advice or recommendation, nor is it intended to treat or cure any disease or disorder, nor to substitute for consultation, diagnosis or treatment by your M.D. or other medical professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.

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