Tvmama

1 Comment Written by Atila on September 5, 2008 – 9:29 am

The uncontrolled growth of cells around the outer region of the prostate, which gives rise to the development of a malignant tumor, is called prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is common among American males. Over 250,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States every year.

Early signs of prostate cancer are difficult to detect. Symptoms only set in once the tumor spreads. Change in urination habits with increased frequency or dribbling are the first signs of prostate cancer. The cancer may spread from the prostate to nearby lymph nodes, bones or other organs, leading to a condition called metastasis. As a result, some men experience back pain. Once the cancer spreads beyond the prostate it is difficult to cure.

The growth of prostate cancer is relatively slow and may not be detected for many years. It also takes longer to spread beyond the prostate. However, a small percentage of patients experience more rapidly growing, aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know for sure which prostate cancers will grow slowly and which will grow aggressively; this further complicates treatment decisions.

The presence of cancer cells around the prostate determines the extent to which the cancer has spread. It affects the areas surrounding the prostate such as the seminal vesicle, lymph nodes, rectum and bones. Even when prostate cancer spreads to other areas, such as the bone, it is still considered to be prostate cancer and not bone cancer.

How there is a new technology called HIFU, you can read about on internationalhifu.com, and on this page: internationalhifu.com/prostate-cancer-treatment-videos.html you can see a great video about the procedure.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, or HIFU, is a therapy that destroys tissue with rapid heat elevation, which essentially “cooks” the tissue. Ultrasound energy, or sound waves, is focused at a specific location and at that “focal point” the temperature raises to 90 degrees Celsius in a matter of seconds.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
The Sonablate® 500 is not approved for use in the U.S. The Sonablate® 500 remains investigational in the U.S. and is being studied for the treatment of prostate cancer in clinical trials in the U.S. FDA has made no decision as to the safety or efficacy of the Sonablate® 500 for the treatment of prostate cancer. Currently, the device is approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in Canada and the Dominican Republic, authorized in Argentina, and available in the Bahamas and Mexico.

If the Sonablate® 500 is approved by the FDA for use in the U.S., there is no assurance that instructions for use or the specifications of the device will be the same as the device and treatment approved or authorized in other countries outside of the U.S.