HIFU as an Effective Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer in Bend, OR

HIFU, or high intensity focused ultrasound, is exactly as its name implies. It is an FDA approved innovative treatment for prostate cancer that uses soundwaves to precisely focus cancer cells and destroy them while leaving the surrounding tissue intact.

Benefits of HIFU for Prostate Cancer

The greatest benefits of HIFU for prostate cancer are dramatically reduced incidences of both urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction compared to other types of surgery or radiation. Many men avoid treatment for prostate cancer due to these particularly unpleasant side effects associated with other treatments.

Additional benefits of HIFU include the following:

  • Performed as an outpatient procedure
  • Much less invasive than surgery or radiation therapy
  • No incisions
  • HIFU treatment takes hours compared to radiation which takes weeks
  • Shorter recovery time compared to surgery
  • Ability to return to normal activities within days
  • Little to no pain during the procedure
  • Hormonal medication (ADT) is not required

How HIFU Works

US energy is used to heat the cancer cells and kill them. The procedure usually takes about 90 minutes. 

Who are the best candidates for HIFU?

In order to be a good candidate for this procedure, patients must be in the early stages of prostate cancer, meaning the cancer must be localized to the prostate and has not spread outside to other tissues or organs.

Those who have experienced a recurrence of prostate cancer after radiation therapy can be good candidates. Men who face serious risks posed by other common treatments for prostate cancer can be considered for HIFU treatments.

Any person looking to avoid the side effects and complications of surgery or radiation should devote some of their time to thoroughly evaluating HIFU as a safe and effective option to treating their prostate cancer.

Age, health, prostate size, presence of calcifications within the prostate that can interfere with HIFU, and the grade of cancer are important factors on deciding whether HIFU is right for you. If you are considering a HIFU procedure, contact Cascade Lakes Urology today and discover your potential outlook and quality of life after treatment.