High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive procedure that is being tested in the treatment of low-risk, localized prostate cancer. Treatment with the investigational device involves spinal or general anesthesia. An endorectal probe that uses ultrasound to image the prostate and determine where to treat is inserted into the rectum. No incision is required. The probe then delivers HIFU energy throughout the entire prostate until it has been completely treated.

The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes approximately one and a half to three hours. Patients generally are mobile and can return home the same day and can return to a normal routine within a few days of treatment. The most common side effects with the form of HIFU used in this study are similar to those experienced when undergoing cryotherapy: impotence, incontinence, pelvic pain, and scrotal swelling.

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Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of death in men after lung cancer, accounting for about 10 percent of all cancer-related deaths in men.

Alternative treatment options:

• Cryotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Prostatectomy