Recently, Mr. Zhang, who had been plagued by terminal lung cancer, experienced significant symptom relief and a notable improvement in his quality of life after undergoing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, thus emerging from his treatment predicament.
This technology plays a prominent role in palliative treatment of advanced tumors, thanks to its advantages such as precise localization, non-invasive treatment, and the ability to treat multiple lesions.
01 Overcoming Challenges with HIFU Precision in Multiple Metastases
After Mr. Zhang, 68 years old, was diagnosed with lung cancer, a follow-up examination revealed that the cancer cells had metastasized to his liver, with 7-8 metastatic lesions (the larger one measuring approximately 6cm in diameter). Traditional surgery involves significant trauma, and chemotherapy has strong side effects, which his body could hardly bear. The patient and his family once fell into despair.
After inquiring from various sources, he entered the treatment room of Hainan Chengmei Hospital (HIFU).
Chen Junyao, the director of the ultrasound department, explained that multiple lesions in liver metastasis of lung cancer pose great challenges to treatment, but HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) can precisely address this issue. Its principle is similar to a magnifying glass focusing sunlight, where low-energy ultrasound waves outside the body are precisely focused on tumor lesions, generating a high temperature of over 60°C at the focal point. Combined with cavitation and mechanical effects, this causes tumor cells to undergo coagulative necrosis, achieving noninvasive ablation with almost no damage to surrounding normal tissues.
Mr. Zhang underwent HIFU treatment, which required no surgery, puncture, or general anesthesia throughout the entire process, and only caused a slight sensation of warmth. Follow-up examinations showed that the inactivation rate of liver metastases reached 90%, and tumor progression was controlled. His mental state and appetite improved significantly, and he was relieved from the discomfort of chemotherapy.
02 Cancer pain plagued him, but HIFU helped him stand up again
Mr. Zhang, 45 years old, suffers from osteosarcoma on the inner side of his right thigh. The tumor has grown, causing severe pain, making him unable to walk and confined to bed. He relies on strong analgesics for relief and has completely lost confidence in treatment.
After evaluation by Director Chen Junyao's team, it was found that the tumor had a wide range of invasion and the patient's body could not tolerate traditional surgery. Taking into account the core needs of pain relief and tumor control, the team developed a two-course HIFU treatment plan for him. "HIFU can not only precisely ablate the tumor but also destroy the nerve plexus surrounding the tumor, effectively relieving cancer pain. This is an important advantage of its palliative treatment," explained Director Chen Junyao.
After two courses of treatment, the vast majority of the tumor on the inner side of Mr. Zhang's thigh was inactivated, significantly alleviating his cancer pain. He no longer needed to rely on strong analgesics and was able to walk with the aid of crutches, gradually recovering limb function and improving his quality of life.
03 (HIFU) Core Advantages
The research and development, as well as the clinical initiation, of HIFU technology initially focused on benign gynecological diseases such as uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. Addressing the core needs of patients with these diseases, namely preserving the uterus, minimizing trauma, and facilitating rapid recovery, HIFU is characterized by its non-invasive, non-puncture approach, preserving the integrity and function of the uterus. It precisely targets the lesion, causing necrosis and absorption, thereby reducing surgical trauma and complications at their source. It is precisely this mature application in the gynecological field that has laid a solid foundation for its subsequent expansion into tumor treatment.
The patient is undergoing (HIFU) treatment (file photo)
Director Chen Junyao summarized the core advantages of HIFU palliative treatment: first, precise localization ablation to maximize the protection of normal tissues; second, the ability to treat multiple lesions in separate sessions to effectively control the disease; third, being non-invasive and facilitating rapid recovery, making it suitable for middle-to-late stage patients with poor physical condition, while also alleviating cancer pain and improving quality of life.
Director Chen Junyao emphasized that the advantage of this treatment technology lies not only in its non-invasiveness and precision, but also in its wide range of applicability. In addition to its initial application in uterine fibroids and adenomyosis, high-intensity focused ultrasound tumor ablation therapy provides new options for patients with inoperable tumors, such as liver tumors, kidney tumors, soft tissue tumors, pancreatic cancer, breast tumors, as well as abdominal, pelvic, and retroperitoneal tumors. It can not only alleviate patients' pain but also prolong their survival time and improve their quality of life.
Expert Introduction
Chen Junyao, Chief Physician
The director of the ultrasound department also serves as the director of the functional department
Other high-level talents in Hainan Province
Medical expertise
Skilled in ultrasound diagnosis of complex abdominal and superficial organ diseases, as well as interventional ultrasound procedures (such as ultrasound contrast, biopsy, catheterization and drainage, tumor ablation, tumor seed implantation, etc.); skilled in minimally invasive treatment of solid organ tumors (such as tumors in the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, thyroid, prostate, etc.) under multimodal ultrasound guidance.