New localised hyperthermia study with prostate cancer
We have told you about HIFU now for almost nine years. We analysed the research available almost a decade ago, since when we have updated readers regularly. Only last year we interviewed Professor Mark Emberton about his work with HIFU at UCL and reported on a trial where 20 men with prostate cancer were treated with HIFU and all were clear after 2 years, only one having had any complications.
Now comes a further study reported in the journal Lancet Oncology. This time 41 men were treated with focal HIFU. After 12 months, none was incontinent and only 4 suffered any impotence. This compares with average figures of 10 per cent and more than 50 per cent. 95 per cent of those treated were completely free of cancer 12 months later.
The study was led by Dr Hashim Ahmed, of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University College London.
NICE is now expected to issue guidance to Doctors to consider using HIFU. Treatment may take less than a day, and can be repeated if necessary.
So far only small scale Clinical Trials have been undertaken. The plan now is to begin recruiting for a large scale five-year trial.
The research programme is led by Professor Mark Emberton, of UCL and UCLH.
CANCERactive has championed this ’Alternative treatment’, throughout. In 2011 we also brought readers news of three Clinical trials from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden where localized hyperthermia had been used equally effectively with breast cancer tumours. Researchers were talking of breast tumour treatment under local anaesthetic during a woman’s lunch hour!