Prostate cancer can require invasive treatment, which often leads to the end of sex lives or chronic incontinence problem.
But a revolutionary new procedure called high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) offers hope that men can get their tumours zapped without all of the nasty side effects that can follow standard treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Prostate cancer is cancer is a small walnut- shaped gland in men prostate that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among men.
In Nigeria, it is the most prevalent cancer in men.
Usually prostate cancer grows slowly and is initially confined to the prostate gland, where it may not cause serious harm.
However, while some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or even no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.
However, high-tech HIFU uses concentrated sound waves to destroy cancerous tissue.
Delivered through a rectal probe, the outpatient procedure is targeted to avoid the healthy tissue and nerve bundles that are responsible for erec-tions and bladder control.
Dr. Stephen Scionti, a Sarasota, Fla., urologist and American pioneer of the technique, disclosed that this procedure is very sophisticated technology, adding “we can design precise, personalise treatments to preserve more healthy tissue and that, in turn, preserves more function.”
But HIFU is only a viable option for about half of all prostate cancer patients, he adds.
Similarly, Scionti said the treatment works for prostate cancers that are detected very early, meaning that it is not for advanced prostate that have spread to other organs of the body.
The ‘newsmaxHealth’ reported that the procedure was first used in Europe 30 years ago and has been an accepted treatment for prostate cancer there for decades.
“But it wasn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until October 2015.” “It’s a little slow to catch on [in the U.S.] because, like anything new, it is disruptive to the old way of doing things,” said Scionti, “It will take a generation of urologists to change the paradigm of just taking out the prostrate when it has cancer.” HIFU has also been slow to catch on with insurance companies, which typically don’t cover its $25,000 cost, according to the report.
SOURCE: NEW TELEGRAPH
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