HIFU, which stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment for prostate cancer that preserves patient quality of life.
No longer an “old man’s cancer”, prostate cancer is aggressively targeting younger generations of men an alarming rate. When there are not early warning signs, it’s up to patients to get ahead of it.
More than 26,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year. The number of younger men diagnosed with aggressive, life-threatening prostate cancer has increased nearly 6-fold in the last 20 years.
Dr. John Jurige, with First Urology in Louisville, was the first physician to perform the procedure here in the U.S. “When we use it in conjunction with MRI, it allows us the option of targeting specifically the area of the prostate where the cancer is found as opposed to treating the whole prostate,” Dr. Jurige said.
How it works
Patients go under a general anesthetic for about two hours. The HIFU is an outpatient procedure and most men are able to resume normal activities the next day.
“Relatively quick recovery time, minimal pain, no blood loss, high probability of preserving bladder and sexual function,” Dr. Jurige said.
Even better, 94 percent of patients are cancer-free after five years, with no further treatments.
Best Candidates
The best candidates for the HIFU are those with early stage prostate cancer. Dr. Jurige says men should start testing in their 40’s, if not earlier, if your family has a history, or you’re a part of the African American community, which for unknown reasons, is seeing a higher rate of diagnoses.
It’s the best way to protect yourself. In most cases, there aren’t any symptoms of prostate cancer, until the later stages.
HIFU Prostate Services was founded to provide men access to a less invasive treatment option for prostate cancer. HIFU has the ability to eliminate cancer and preserve patient quality of life.
Traditional treatments of prostate cancer, such as surgery and radiation, often leave men having to choose between cancer control and quality of life. HIFU Prostate Services exists to give men access to another option; a less invasive treatment option.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Men with prostate cancer may not experience any symptoms at all so it is very important for men to see their physician regularly and have an annual prostate cancer screening. If there are any symptoms, the most common ones are:
- Difficult urination
- Inability to urinate
- Weak urine stream
- Frequent urination
- Burning feeling or pain during urination
- Pain in the lower back, hips or upper thighs
