METHOD, EFFECTIVENESS, AND COMPLICATIONS OF HIGH INTENSITY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND (HIFU) ABLATION ON HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC) TREATMENT

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) plays an important role in treatment of HCC. HIFU has two methods in tumor treatment, which have thermal and mechanical effects. The absorption of ultrasound energy causes a rise in temperature at the target point of the tumor.  Although necrosis occurs, tissue located near the target tumor is not destroyed. Mechanical effects produce acoustic cavitations, causing tumors to be destroyed by microbubble formation.  Many clinical trials have revealed that HIFU is an effective and safe procedure for HCC ablation, both in short-term and long-term follow-up. HIFU showed a good response rate in patients suffering from HCC damage, and improved several parameters in HCC treatment. The common complications of HIFU found in many clinical trials were slight fever, localized pain, and skin burns. However, patients recovered within a few weeks after treatment as severe or major complications were minimally observed. Nevertheless, further study to support the efficacy and safety of HIFU in a larger number of cancer patients will be necessary before it can be used in treatment for other cancers. This review will investigate the use of HIFU for treatment of HCC, and will describe the method, effectiveness, and complications of HIFU.