High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)

High-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, is a minimally invasive way to treat prostate cancer, using ultrasound energy focused at a very high level to destroy tissue.

Because of HIFU's precision, this treatment helps to protect a patient's erectile and continence mechanisms that are often affected during other treatment modalities.

This procedure is offered to Greater Boston Urology patients in an outpatient setting at the Eastern Massachusetts Surgery Center in Norwood. We are one of only a few centers across the US to offer HIFU treatment.

Schedule a consultation with your GBU team today to learn if HIFU is the right option for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions About HIFU

How does HIFU work?

HIFU uses ultrasound energy, or sound waves, to target, heat, and destroy cancerous tissue in the prostate. During the procedure, the sound waves pass through healthy tissue without causing damage and focusing only on the target tissue, at which point the tissue temperature rises rapidly to 90 degrees Celsius and is destroyed. The same principles are used when light is focused through a magnifying glass.

While no procedure is going to cure prostate cancer in 100% of people, HIFU is as effective in those realms as surgery and is more effective than radiation. It's less invasive, it's an outpatient procedure that takes somewhere between 1-3 hours, and it offers an excellent cure rate with minimal complications.

What are the benefits?

Benefits include:

It's an outpatient procedure, lasting 1-4 hour(s)
There's no blood loss
It's radiation free
The recovery time is quick – you can return to normal lifestyle within a few days
Low risk of erectile dysfunction and incontinence

Are there any downsides to the procedure?

Because physicians are able to target and treat a small amount of tissue, the damage to the areas around the prostate is minimized, helping to preserve normal urinary function and minimize risk of erectile dysfunction.

How effective is HIFU?

Recent studies suggest a 95% cure rate in those patients who have been re-biopsied post-procedure.

If the HIFU treatment failed, for whatever reason, patients can have another HIFU treatment. This in and of itself is unusual (it's rare that a treatment can be "repeated"). Luckily, it's a very tiny percentage of patients who will fail the treatment.

Who is a good candidate for HIFU?

Nearly everyone is a candidate.

All prostate cancer can be treated with HIFU, making it a great choice for those who haven't found results in other treatments (although advanced cancers may require additional modalities or therapies).

The only patients who would be excluded are those who have severe latex allergies or who have severe rectal wall thickening.

What's the follow-up procedure?

In general, a patient's PSA is checked every three months and your urologist may encourage you to have a biopsy in a year to check for any residual cancer.