INVESTIGATIONAL TREATMENTS: HIFU (HIGH-INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND)

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a new treatment currently under clinical investigation for prostate cancer. HIFU uses ultrasonic waves to destroy cancerous tissue.

While this treatment is minimally invasive (no incisions), there are several important limitations:

• It is not approved for use in the United States (Not FDA Cleared).
• Patients must travel to hospitals outside the United States to receive this treatment (unless the procedure is performed as part of clinical investigation). Some patients travel to Mexico or the Caribbean for treatment.
• It is not approved nor covered by Medicare or most US health insurance companies.
• HIFU costs $30,000-$35,000 (patient pays the full cost of the procedure plus travel outside of US for treatment).
• The patient often must have additional prostate surgery (TURP or Laser) to reduce the size of the prostate prior to HIFU.
• There is NO long term data supporting the effectiveness of HIFU.
• The success/efficacy, safety, and side effects have NOT been well established for either short or long term use within the United States.

Cryotherapy, however, has been CLEARED by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as a minimally invasive procedure. It is covered by Medicare and most insurance companies. Click here to learn more.

Cryotherapy is typically performed on an outpatient basis (patients typically leave the hospital the same day) and only requires one treatment.