Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is the only site in New Jersey to offer its patients an opportunity to participate in a trial for a promising non-invasive treatment for localized prostate cancer. The study, entitled “Ablatherm Integrated Imaging High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the Indication of Low Risk, Localized Prostate Cancer,” will compare the outcome of HIFU to cryotherapy. HIFU has already been so successful abroad that it is now recognized as a safe and effective treatment in many European countries.
“In addition to being the only facility in New Jersey, we are also one of only a dozen facilities throughout the country to participate in this trial,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., chairman of the Department of Urology and chief of Urologic Oncology at HUMC’s Cancer Center. “We are very excited to be able to offer our patients the chance to benefit from new protocols as soon as possible, often before they become widely available. It is consistent with our commitment to provide the best care available on the market today.”
HIFU, which takes about two to three hours, depending on the size of the prostate, involves the use of a state-of-the-art probe that ablates, or destroys, cancerous prostate tissue through ultrasound technology. During the procedure, the device, which is inserted through the rectum, enables the physician to visualize the entire prostate as its ultrasound waves progress through the gland. Once cancerous cells are revealed, the physician takes the same waves used for visualization and focuses them at a single point, which magnifies their strength and kills the diseased tissue by raising the temperature. The physician then diffuses the waves once again, and continues to view the rest of the prostate. If more lesions are discovered, the technique is repeated until all of the cancer has been destroyed and the entire prostate has been examined.
Since HIFU doesn’t require any incisions or surgery, the possibility of complications is minimal. In the future, its non-invasive nature may make it a viable option for patients who can’t undergo surgery for medical reasons. It may also serve as the only alternative for certain patients who have experienced a recurrence in their disease after undergoing external radiation.
Potential candidates for the trial are men aged 60 or older, with cancer that is confined to the prostate. Other requirements include clinical staging of T1a, b, or c, or T2a, at least one positive biopsy within the previous six months, and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 10 or less. Patients will participate in the program for 24 months.
Interested parties should call the Department of Urology at Hackensack University Medical Center at 201-336-8090.
The Cancer Center comprises 14 specialized divisions, featuring teams of experts for each specific type of cancer. A physician directs each of the divisions with significant clinical and research expertise in the type of cancer. This approach which brings together a close-knit team of medical, research, nursing, and supportive staff with specialized expertise translates into more advanced, focused care for patients. The divisions are: Breast Oncology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer, Leukemia, Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Multiple Myeloma, Neuro-Oncology, Skin and Cellular Medicine, Stem Cell Transplantation, Supportive Care and Pain Control, Thoracic Oncology, Urologic Oncology, and Research.
HealthGrades® named HUMC one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for the second consecutive year. This designation recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over a seven-year time period, based upon an analysis of more than 75 million Medicare patient records from 1999-2005. These hospitals have achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates across dozens of medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes. HUMC is the only healthcare facility in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals. Only one percent of the nation’s hospitals can make this claim.
For more information, please visit www.humc.com.
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