January 31, 2002
Ultrasound Tested As Prostate Cancer Therapy At IU
INDIANAPOLIS - Ultrasound technology, long known to expectant parents
and used in the monitoring of fetal conditions, is making new waves at
the Indiana University School of Medicine for its value in fighting prostate
cancer.
A Phase I clinical trial at the IU School of Medicine investigates the
efficiency and safety of using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
for prostate cancer. The minimally invasive procedure combines the latest
in 3-D technology to plot the location of cancerous cells and then fires
ultra-focused sound waves to destroy them.
The IU School of Medicine one of two trial sites in the nation approved
by the Food and Drug Administration late last year, the other being Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
HIFU elevates tissue temperatures 70- to-90 degrees Centigrade (158-194
degrees Fahrenheit) in durations of up to four seconds, killing the cancer
without damaging tissue surrounding the prostate, the small walnut-sized
gland found at the base of the bladder.
"This minimally invasive surgical procedure is painless, bloodless
and the energy from the ultrasound waves is non-ionizing and can be applied
repeatedly," says Michael Koch, M.D., principal investigator of the
trial and chairman of the school's Department of Urology. "We are
enrolling 20 patients for this trial phase."
For more information about enrolling in HIFU trial, call 317-630-6044.
Among criteria for patients participating in the trial they must between
40 and 80 years old, have confined prostate cancer, no bleeding disorder
and a prostate specific antigen level of 10 or less. PSA is a biological
marker used in the early detection of prostate cancer. Patients who have
failed previous external radiation for prostate cancer are also potential
candidates.
The HIFU outpatient procedure can usually be completed within three hours,
and the patient can go home after the anesthetic wears off. For cancer
that is confined to the prostate, surgery and radiation are the common
treatment options. Complete removal of the prostate can cause incontinence
and impotence. Radiation therapy can cause rectal and bladder damage,
impotence and difficult urination.
About 189,000 males in the United States are diagnosed annually with some
form of prostate cancer, second only to lung cancer as deadly disease
among men, reports the American Cancer Society. Although men can get the
disease at any age, it's more common among those over 50 years old. Prostate
cancer is twice as common in African Americans as it is in white American
males.
The one-year clinical trial is based on initial HIFU research conducted
at Kitasato University in Japan by urologist Toyoaki Uchida, M.D. The
ultrasound device used is Sonablate ™.
###
Related Web Sites
IU School of Medicine-Department of Urology
www.iupui.edu/~Eurology
Indiana University Clinical Trials Program
http://medicine.iupui.edu/ctp/
IU School of Medicine-News
www.medicine.indiana.edu
Media Contact: Joe Stuteville
317-274-7722
jstutevi@iupui.edu
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
A STATEWIDE
RESOURCE
Phone
317 274 7722
Fax
317 278 8722