HIFU ablation treatment
HIFU ablation treatment A big Hello to you all,
Had an interesting conversation with a friend last night regarding some promising clinical trial results using ultrasound therapy. Being the nosey scientist that I am I decided to investigate a bit further. Basically, the ultrasound beam “frazzles” the tumour cells and targetted areas of tissue and blood vessels surrounding it with temperatures up to 80C causing cell death - necrosis. A recent small trial in China involving 48 women reported that the results, quote, “indicated that the treated tumour cells lost the abilities of proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. It is concluded that, as a noninvasive therapy, HIFU could be effective, safe, and feasible in the extracorporeal treatment of localised breast cancer.” (British Journal of Cancer (2003) 89, 2227-2233.) These are very encouraging results, (albeit still with mastectomy following the HIFU as a precaution) and look to be the way forward as the treatment of choice for some solid cancers. (Good success rate already with prostate cancer).
Comes a bit too late for us ladies already booked to go under the knife (1 week today for me) but maybe one day in the not so distant future the mastectomy will be looked upon as a a procedure akin to surgery from the Dark Ages!!!
Mega Good Vibes to you all!!!