In case you missed the announcement in the Foundation’s Nov 22 newsletter, TIME Magazine has recognized focused ultrasound as one of the 50 “most inspired ideas, innovations and revolutions” of 2011. For us, this exciting and highly validating news is something to share and celebrate with everyone we know. In its coverage, TIME heralded MR-imaging and focused ultrasound as “remarkable in their own right” and observed that “something life-changing” emerges when the two are combined.  The report, appeared in the magazine’s November 28, 2011 “Invention Issue”. The visibility of focused ultrasound is skyrocketing, and the coverage in TIME caps off several weeks of surging media interest. In October alone, significant media interest surrounded the TEDMED 2011 talk given by Yoav Medan, PhD of Insightec. Entitled “Is It Still Surgery If You Don’t Cut Anything?” the presentation literally wowed the audience, which consisted of nearly 800 leaders and innovators in the fields of medicine, science, business and technology. In addition, Medtech Insight ran a 10-page report on the current state and future of image-guided focused ultrasound. That publication, which is targeted to medical technology executives and investment professionals, became interested in focused ultrasound following the presentation by W. Jeffrey Elias, MD at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons on October 3. Elias described the preliminary and highly promising results of the essential tremor clinical trial being funded by the FUS Foundation at the University of Virginia. The Foundation was integrally involved in creating these media opportunities. For us, this excellent, high-profile coverage is a welcomed development. We’re committed to transforming focused ultrasound from ‘medicine’s best kept secret’ into one of its most valued and widely applied solutions. The power, reach and influence of the media are a mighty ally in our cause.

Pictured left to right: Barry Rassin, President, Doctors Hospital; Dr. George M. Suarez, F.A.C.S., F.A A.P. Medical Director, USHIFU, International HIFU, Board Certified Urologist; James Roth, HIFU patient in the Bahamas

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment for Prostate Cancer Now Available in Bermuda

US HIFU Selects Bermuda for Easy Access to Treatment for Patients and Physicians in the Northeast PR Newswire

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- US HIFU, a worldwide leader in the development, distribution and use of minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound ("HIFU") technologies, is pleased to announce that its HIFU treatment for prostate cancer is now available in Bermuda. King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Bermuda joins more than 100 centers in 30-plus countries to offer the innovative treatment with the Sonablate® 500 medical device.

Bermuda is the newest location to become part of US HIFU's international treatment program, which provides patients from the U.S. access to the Sonablate technology ("Sonablate HIFU") in international facilities where it is approved or authorized, since Sonablate HIFU is in the final phase of the FDA clinical trials and not approved for use in the U.S. As part of the US HIFU international treatment program, which began in 2004, patients and physicians travel to the Bahamas, Mexico, Canada and other jurisdictions outside the U.S. for the procedure.

"We were strategic in our selection of Bermuda so we could open up access to Sonablate HIFU for interested patients and physicians in the northeast," said US HIFU's CEO Steve Puckett, Jr. regarding the company's decision to introduce Sonablate HIFU in Bermuda at this time. "For ease of transportation, we expect to see a good number of patients and doctors from that area and eastern seaboard in general, but Bermuda's King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is just one more high-caliber choice open to any patients and doctors throughout the country."

Dr. Donald Thomas, the hospital's chief of staff, said, "We are very pleased to be able to offer this treatment. As we are only about a two-hour flight from the eastern U.S., we can offer this high-tech procedure very close to home for some U.S. patients in a stunningly beautiful island setting."

The first two patients were treated at the beginning of May by Dr. Stephen Scionti, NYU clinical associate professor of urology, who has been involved with Sonablate HIFU since 2006.

"The hospital is a modern, first-rate organization staffed by world-class physicians. As with the other US HIFU facilities, I believe patients can feel as confident in traveling offshore for the treatment as they can in going to their local hospital for an already approved procedure," said Scionti. "As a physician working away from my regular office, I am able to focus on my patients and their treatment when everything in the venue is in perfect order; King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was no exception."

Sonablate HIFU is designed as a minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment. International, 10-year data shows that men who choose Sonablate HIFU may be able to treat their disease while also minimizing risk for significant side effects common with prostate cancer therapies such as surgery or radiation. The technology allows physicians to ablate prostatic tissue with extreme heat generated from focused ultrasound waves. The ultrasound energy is delivered in rapid-fire succession to targeted tissue throughout the gland. The tissue at each target is destroyed while surrounding tissue remains unharmed.

Atlanta-resident Robert Jenkins, who received his HIFU treatment on Saturday, May 1, said, "From my perspective—and my physician's—everything ran like clockwork, from the procedure to the logistics involved with traveling to a different location. The staff was focused, friendly, caring and made sure I felt right before I left."

Regarding the future of Sonablate HIFU in Bermuda, Puckett said, "The current therapy involves whole gland ablation but we are looking ahead to the focal treatment of prostate cancer, beginning with the upcoming UK clinical trials. Bermuda is slated to be the international specialty site for our focal HIFU procedure."

About US HIFU US HIFU (USHIFU, LLC), a privately held healthcare company, is a world leader in minimally invasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies. U S HIFU manufactures the Sonablate® 500 medical device and is focused currently on treating primary and recurrent prostate cancer using Sonablate® HIFU. The company is engaged in ongoing research for technological advancements for the Sonablate® system or other ultrasound applications.

About the Sonablate® 500 The Sonablate® 500 is a minimally invasive medical device that utilizes ultrasound energy to destroy tissue within the body. It was developed by Focus Surgery, Inc. and is manufactured in part by Misonix, Inc. (Nasdaq: MSON), which also holds distribution rights in Europe. Takai Hospital Supply Ltd. distributes the Sonablate® 500 in Southeast Asia. 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.

SOURCE US HIFU

Dr. George M. Suarez, founder and Medical Director, Emeritus of USHIFU and International HIFU, and recognized as the most experienced HIFU physician in North America, gave a presentation in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 12, 2010, on High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). The presentation was titled "Minimally Invasive Treatment Options for Localized Prostate Cancer: The Status of HIFU in 2010."

The conference was attended by University of Utah Urology faculty and members of the local urologic community, as well as several medical and radiation oncologists, therapists, internists, and interventional radiologists. The evening seminar was hosted by Western Urological Clinic, spearheaded by their HIFU trained physicians, particularly, Dr. Steven Gange, the most experienced HIFU trained doctor in the region.

There was great interest and enthusiasm by the group, as well as recognition that HIFU with the Sonablate - 500 has become an integral treatment option for patients with localized prostate cancer. The Western Urological Group have all been trained, or exposed to the technology. Dr. Gange's passion for HIFU is evident in when he states: "You can't argue with the excellent cure of prostate cancer and preservation of quality of life after treatment with HIFU. It stands alone as the most promising therapy for urologic cancer of all times". He further stated: "The patient is cured, he has no down time (same day recovery) and back to work the next day, but in addition, they remain sexually active and with full urinary control."

Dr. Gange was recently featured in "Healthy Utah Magazine" and on ABC, Salt Lake City.

For further information on Western Urological Clinic, and Dr. Gange, please call (801) 993-1800.

Latest news on Robotic prostatectomy.

Men's hopes for robot prostate surgery unrealistic

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer has been heavily hyped, and a new study suggests that men's expectations of the surgery may be too high.

Researchers found that of 171 men facing prostate cancer surgery, those having robotic surgery expected a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker return to their usual physical activity and sex life.

But those hopes may not be realistic.

Prostate removal is one treatment option for prostate cancer, and in the U.S., a majority of those surgeries are now done with the help of a "robot."

During the procedure, the surgeon sits at a console, operating robotic "arms" that extract the prostate gland through small cuts in the abdomen.

The robotic approach is expensive. And after hospitals invest the roughly $1.5 million for the machines, plus the cost of surgeon training and annual service contracts, they often aggressively market the approach -- as do the companies behind the technology.

And that may include claims that robotic surgery is better than the old-fashioned way.

"Since about the mid-2000s, people were thinking that robotic surgery was the greatest thing since sliced bread," said Dr. Judd W. Moul, a prostate surgeon at Duke University Medical Center who led the new study.

There was reason to believe that the better visualization with robotic surgery could lead to some better outcomes, Moul told Reuters Health.

On the other hand, he said, when surgeons actually use their hands, they get "tactile feedback" that's missing with the robotic approach.

And studies have suggested that while robotic surgery may have some short-term advantages -- like a somewhat shorter hospital stay -- there may be no clear difference in the most important outcomes.

So far, there's no good evidence that robotic-surgery patients fare any better as far as cancer recurrence or long-term side effects like urine leakage and erectile dysfunction.

And in an earlier study, Moul and his colleagues found that men who had the robotic procedure were actually less satisfied in the long run than those who had traditional surgery.

They guessed that patients' expectations going into surgery might have something to do with it.

MORE OPTIMISM WITH ROBOTIC SURGERY

So for the new study, they surveyed 171 men about their expectations heading into prostate cancer surgery. The majority of patients -- 97 -- had opted for robotic surgery, while 74 were going with the traditional route.

Overall, 89 percent men having the robotic surgery expected to stay just one night in the hospital, versus 37 percent of men having traditional surgery.

The robotic-surgery group also thought they would be back to exercising sooner -- typically predicting a five-week wait, versus six weeks in the other group. And they expected to have recovered their erectile function within five months of surgery.

Men having traditional surgery were much less optimistic. They typically assumed it would take nine months to regain their sex life.

On average, Moul said, men having robotic surgery do seem to get out of the hospital eight to 12 hours quicker.

But a small percentage, he noted, end up staying in the hospital for a few days because their bowel function does not return quickly.

As far as physical activity and long-term erectile function, it's not clear if there's any advantage to robotic surgery. At Duke, Moul noted, men are advised to avoid any heavy lifting for six weeks after surgery -- robot or not.

ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS

Where are men getting their expectations? Ads, the Internet and the general belief that high-tech must be better may all play a role, according to Moul.

"But I think that probably physician counseling has a lot to do with it," Moul said.

He noted that surgeons do have an incentive to push men toward the new technology in order to "work through their learning curve" -- that is, hone their skills by doing more procedures.

Increasingly, experts are saying that men should put more stock in their surgeon's experience than on the type of prostate surgery.

Moul agreed. That experience, he said, "is what drives the long-term outcomes of urinary and sexual recovery of function."

"Ask your surgeon the tough questions," Moul said. That means asking how many procedures he or she has ever done, and how many per year.

There's no hard-and-fast number that defines a "good" surgeon. But Moul suggested that a doctor who performs at least 40 to 75 procedures a year (of one specific kind -- robot or traditional) would be considered experienced.

Of course, that all assumes a man has decided on having surgery.

Many men with early-stage prostate cancer can decide to hold off on treatment altogether. That's because prostate tumors are often slow-growing and may never advance to the point of threatening a man's life.

One study found that more than 120,000 American men diagnosed with prostate cancer every year are ideal candidates for "watchful waiting" -- which means doctors keep an eye on the cancer to see if it's progressing.

In reality, though, the majority of those men end up having surgery, radiation or other treatment instead.

SOURCE: bit.ly/zqY56u Journal of Urology, online January 16, 2012.