A possible new treatment for ANs on the horizon!

[Tumbleweed]

Hi, everybody:

I just now read about a promising new treatment for brain tumors -- using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) -- that could serve as an alternative to surgery and radiation in the future. HIFU is non-invasive. It's still in the development stage. Here's a link to the article:
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23031/

Excerpt: "...HIFU has advantages over radiosurgery because the effects of killing tissue with radiation can take weeks to months, whereas the thermal approach is immediate. Adds Kassell, "The precision and accuracy [are] considerably greater with ultrasound, and it should be in principle safer in the long run."

Ferenc Jolensz, director of the Division of MRI and Image Guided Therapy Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston "...has tested the technology on four patients with brain tumors, though the results have not yet been published."

Best wishes,
TW

[epodjn]

Very interesting!! Lets hope they can perfect this and get it up and running for the general public. What a wonderful thing that would be!!!

[Jackie]

Very interesting article! It's wonderful that they are continuing research to find better ways for treatment! May they perfect them soon! Bless their efforts!
Jackie

[Jim Scott]

TW ~

Thanks for the link.  This ultrasound procedure seems quite experimental but does bode well for future AN patients.  Non-invasive and no radiation make it very appealing.  If it consistently accomplishes excess or damaged tissue destruction without harming healthy tissue, this could well be the Next Big Thing in AN treatment, making any form of surgery (including endoscopic) outdated.  We'll watch and we'll see.

Jim

[Joef]

Makes sence to me! ...

[Vivian B.]

TW,

Thanks for the info. I was wondering if other treatment options were being explored. I haven't looked at the link yet, but I will do that now.

Vivian

[sgerrard]

Very cool. 

Ultrasound is a good technology; I hope this application of it works out, it could be very successful if they can make it work.

Steve

[Joef]

I bet this treatment would not have the size limit (of the tumor) like radio does..... hmmmmm......

[ppearl214]

Ok, going to pull the inside track on this... my brainsurgeon is at the Brigham and will email her on her thoughts on this... as she is very involved with many of the brain tumor studies at the Brigham.... will advise her comments.

Phyl

[Tumbleweed]

Thanks, Phyl! We'll all be waiting anxiously to hear what you uncover.

I imagine approval for widespread use is still years away, but it sure would be great to have a third type of treatment available. I imagine 30 years from now people will look back on surgery and radiation as somewhat barbaric.

Best wishes to all,
TW

[4cm in Pacific Northwest]

The idea that us XXL large tumor folks could have a tumor zapped withOUT a craniotomy hole into their skull (made the size of Crater Lake -as was my case)  -is very intriguing.

As MRI's quality improved and treatment technology advances... lets hope the XXL AN club will be a thing of the past.

Very Cool. Thanks for sharing the link... I will pass it around.

DHM

[ghenier27]

I did read the story. When I asked my Neuro doctor about this. Dr. Steven Lewis, Brain Tumor specialist at Shands Hosptial @ Unversity Of Florida in Gainesville. He said the problem with using heat to kill the tumor is at the degree of heat that is needed. You are also cooking your brain cells too. He doesn't belief that this is going to be at future treatment because of that. He has had many reseacrh papers published as well on the subject of brain tumor and is head of the Brian McKnight Brain Insttute here in Gainesville.

[wendysig]

Tumbleweed,

This article is very interesting, but watch and wait for this technology is definitely in order.  I too wonder how you can kill a tumor without damaging brain cells.  I'm hopeful that there's a way around that, but would definitely not volunteer to be the first human test subject.

Wendy

[Patti UT]

I asked the  radio surgeon I had consulted with @ Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah,  he says they have looked at and it as well, and although very intriguing and possibly promising years down the road, he is leery for skull based tumor treatment because of the heat. It can cook the surrounding tissue, ie: nerves, I would imagine having the facial nerve heated up would not be a good thing.

patti ut