Ultrasound instead of the knife

There isn’t anything about breast cancer that is funny, cute or pink.

This week was a quiet one.  The doctor appointments start up again next week and continue through December.

But I came across an article in The Guardian titled High-power sound waves used to blast cancer cells.  They are calling this new therapy “revolutionary”.   The researchers working at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) at the Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton, outside London are using high frequency ultrasound technology to treat patients suffering from metastatic bone lesions – without needing to use any type of surgery.  They are refining the process to use ultrasound to also treat prostate, breast and other tumors.

Guidance for the ultrasound beam is provided by magnetic resonance scanners that focus the beams with millimeter precision ensuring only cancerous or damaged tissue is targeted.  Healthy tissue is protected. The scanner also monitors the temperature of the target cells to ensure they have been heated enough to kill them.  The ICR researchers have only treated patients with metastatic bone lesions so far, but all have responded very well and the pain relief was reported to be instant.

I hope more of these treatments become available in the US soon.  We love you – enjoy the weekend.