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Cancer tumors in future be treated with focused ultrasound?
The treatment of malignant liver cell and inoperable pancreatic tumors as well as benign uterine tumors with high-intensity focused ultrasound could significantly improve the patients' treatment prospects in the future, reports the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM). The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) also recognized the potential and has now started an evaluation procedure for the ultrasound treatment of uterine fibroids and liver tumors.
DEGUM expressly welcomes the initiated evaluation procedure by the G-BA, but also demands the recognition of other useful areas of application of high-intensity focused ultrasound such as, for example, symptomatic pancreatic cancer. With the focused ultrasound, the treatment of the tumor types mentioned in the future can be significantly improved, according to the announcement of the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine.
High-intensity focused ultrasound could significantly improve treatment options for inoperable liver cancer in the future. (Image: blueringmedia / fotolia.com) Difference to the diagnostic ultrasound
High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), unlike diagnostic ultrasound, generates much higher energies that can be focused on a few millimeters of body. The ultrasound head concentrates the high-energy sound waves, which allows a therapeutic application. "High-intensity, focused ultrasound produces temperatures of up to 80 degrees, which effectively kill tumor cells," explains DEGUM expert Professor Dr. med. med. Holger Strunk from the Radiologische Universitätsklinik Bonn.
Evaluation procedure of the G-BA
The evaluation by the G-BA is a prerequisite for the inclusion of a new treatment methods in the catalog of benefits of health insurance companies. Thus, the costs for a treatment with the highly-focused ultrasound are only taken after completion of the evaluation procedure for the respective field of application. This may soon be the case with uterine fibroids and liver tumors. However, the "G-BA unfortunately sees only two of the proposed applications of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USg-HIFU) as promising," says DEGUM expert Professor Strunk.
A promising new therapy procedure
"High-intensity, focused ultrasound is a promising procedure that allows these types of tumors to be treated without surgery," explains Professor Strunk, Senior Physician at the Radiological University Hospital Bonn. According to the expert, the method has proven to be safe, efficacious, and clinically viable in many clinical trials, primarily in the East Asian region. In Germany, however, the procedure was only available since 2014, which is why there is currently a lack of study knowledge here. "We urgently need more financial support for further German or European studies on the method," says Prof. Strunk.
Non-invasive treatment of tumors
A key advantage of focused ultrasound is, according to the expert, that in contrast to a surgical procedure, for example, usually in the treatment of benign uterine tumors, no cut is necessary. Also, no probes, needles or instruments would be introduced into the body. According to current knowledge, the physicians assume that the surrounding tissue is protected by this ultrasound procedure, so that it can also be used when children want to have children. "For inoperable liver cell tumors, the method has the advantage that they are used even then can, "when the tumor is directly adjacent to larger vessels - because these are not injured," says Strunk.
Use also in pancreatic cancer possible?
The DEGUM expert regrets that the G-BA has not seen any potential for other uses of focused ultrasound, although the new method also has benefits for symptomatic pancreatic cancer, for example. It has been shown in studies "that patients treated in this way had an improved quality of life and also a potentially extended lifetime." (Fp)