Canadian practice guideline does NOT recommend HIFU
August 28th, 2010 Posted in radiation therapyHigh-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is legally available in Canada as a method for the treatment of prostate cancer. However, a new Canadian practice guideline states that, “HIFU cannot currently be recommended as an alternative to accepted curative treatment approaches for localized prostate cancer.”
The new guidance document has been issued by the Genitourinary Cancer Disease Site Group of Cancer Care Ontario’s Program in Evidence-Based Care, and the full text of the guideline is available on line.
The guidance is based on a review of 29 studies of HIFU (using both the Ablatherm and the Sonoblate devices) as primary therapy and a further five studies of HIFU when used as salvage therapy in men who had failed a prior treatment.