HIFU INFORMATION

A world leading technology for the non-invasive, safe and effective therapeutic treatment of tumors

 

What is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment?

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment makes a use of ultrasound which is at high intensity and ultrasound beam is being focused at a specific target area to destroy cells.

The principle of how HIFU works is very much similar to how sunlight penetrating through a magnifying glass at its focus point, which is capable of burning a dry leaf.

In the case of medical surgery, the ultrasound waves are directed from a transducer (device that converts electrical energy into ultrasound energy) into a small tight focal volume. During treatment, the ultrasound beam energy penetrates though the soft tissue harmlessly except at the focal volume which cook the cells, cause coagulative necrosis and thus irreversible cell damage.

In the case of cancer treatment, each focused ultrasound beam exposure can be used to cause damage to the cancer cell in a small area and thus multiple exposures of ultrasound are needed to treat the entire tumor cells (accumulation of cancer cells).

 



 

The Therapeutic Principles of the HIFU System

The HIFU Knife uses High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to treat solid tumor deposits. Ultrasound has two unique properties which allow it to be used for the ablation of solid tumors. It passes harmlessly through soft tissue, yet when directed through a lens may deposit enough energy in the focal region to cause localized tissue ablation. High energy produced at the focal area ablates the cancer foci, causing coagulated necrosis, and therefore destroying its capacity to proliferate and metastasize. The fine balance between transmission and deposition of energy is utilized by the HIFU knife to ablate solid tumor deposits through non-invasively.

Figure: The therapeutic principle in the treatment of breast cancer using the HIFU System

 

Unique Advantages of Treatment with HIFU System

Non-Invasive

  • Extracorporeal destruction of the entire cancer foci in vivo
  • No incision, no radiation damage
  • No need for catheter or probe
  • No damage to tissue in ultrasound path or surrounding tissue

 Highly Effective

  • Precise and definitive necrosis of the targeted area

 

Activation of Host's Anti-cancer Immunity

  • The lymphocyte cells infiltrate in the target tissue and become follicle lymph
  • The number of CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells in the treated tissue and local lymph gland increase; as does CD4+/CD8+ ratio, which indicates that the local anti-cancer immunity might be enhanced


Reduction of Total Cost

  • Shorter hospitalization time
  • Marked reduction in complication rate as compared to surgery
  • Little pain and quick recovery after HIFU treatment
  • Reduce the use of broad-spectrum of antibiotics after HIFU treatment


No Limitation on Tumor Size

  • The treatment is able to completely destroy a tumor of any size

 
No Limitation on Tumor Size

  • The treatment is able to completely destroy a tumor of any size

Selective Destruction of Blood Vessels

  • Destroy blood vessels of less than 3mm in diameter to ensure the safety of the treatment
  • Make it possible to give local treatment to those patients who cannot receive conventional surgery due to vascular anatomy

Real-time Evaluation of Therapeutic Effects

  • According to the changes in the images before, during and after the treatment, evaluate whether coagulative necrosis has been achieved in the treated area and monitor for early signs of skin damage in real time
  • Localize the tumor in real time
  • Monitor the whole process in real-time so as to avoid under-treating


Controlled Therapeutic Dose

  • Control the dose to distribute evenly in target area through real-time assessment of the therapeutic effects and the feedback of the doses
     

Safe

  • The vital signs of patients are stable during and after HIFU treatment
  • The stress response of patient is seen to be less than in patients receiving conventional surgery
  • No toxic effects have been identified to the vital organs such as liver, kidney, heart, brain and lungs
  • No disruption or hemorrhage at the tumor site is seen after HIFU treatment
     

Environmental Friendly

  • No radioactive pollution from ultrasound wave
  • No damage to the surround tissues
  • No harm to the patient or operating staff
  • No environmental damages

 

Indications

Malignancies

  • Liver cancer (Primary, Metastasis cancers and Hepatocelluar Carcinoma)
  • Breast cancer
  • Malignant bone tumor (Osterocarcinoma)
  • Sarcoma of soft tissue
  • Kidney cancer
  • Malignant tumor in abdominal cavity and pelvic cavities
  • Carcinoma of bladder
  • Cancer of pancreas

Benign Tumors

  • Uterine fibroids
  • Benign breast neoplasm
  • Hepatic hemangioma

 

Details of the HIFU treatment

1. Treatment of Liver Cancer with the HIFU

Indications and therapeutic effects

  • Primary liver cancer massive and nodular
  • TAE-failed primary liver cancer
  • Palliative therapy for late primary liver cancer
  • Metastatic liver cancer
  • Liver cancer local recurrence or viable metastasis after surgery

 

The changes of the T1 WI post contrast MRI images of a liver tumor


Before the HIFU treatment


2 months after the HIFU treatment

Before the HIFU treatment, the tumor was vascular. After the HIFU treatment, the blood supply had disappeared.

 

2, Treatment of Breast Cancer with the HIFU

The local changes after conventional radical mastectomy
- After mobility of patients' shoulder joints at the diseased side is limited and the upper limb has edema.


The changes of the T1 WI post contrast MRI images of a Breast Cancer


Before the HIFU treatment


3months after the HIFU treatment

Indications and therapeutic effects of the HIFU

  • Treatment of breast cancer in Stage I and Stage II
  • Palliative treatment for advanced breast cancer
  • Treatment of local recurrence of breast cancer after surgery

 

3. Treatment of Malignant Bone Tumor with the HIFU

Indications and therapeutic effects of the HIFU

  • Primary malignant bone tumors: osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, etc.
  • Local recurrence of malignant bone tumor after conventional surgery
  • Residual foci, satellite foci remaining after conventional surgery for malignant bone tumors
  • The palliative treatment of advanced malignant bone tumors
  • Metastatic bone tumor

 

4. Treatment of Sarcomas of Soft Tissue with the HIFU

Indications and therapeutic effects of the HIFU

  • Sarcomas of soft tissue: liposarcoma, fibrosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomysosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma
  • Local recurrence of sarcomas of soft tissue after conventional surgery
  • Sarcomas of soft tissue which cannot be excised surgically because main blood vessels are involved.
  • Residual foci of sarcomas of soft tissue after conventional surgery
  • The palliative treatment of sarcomas of soft tissue, primary malignant bone tumors: osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, etc.

Changes in Host Anti-Cancer Immunity after HIFU Treatment

HIFU can destroy the tumor in situ. The destroyed cancer cells lose their activities and change into solidified tumor vaccine in situ, which may activate the hosts' local and systematic anti-cancer immunity in the course of degeneration and re-absorption.