Abstract

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive method of ablating malignant tumors. This paper will review the current clinical application of HIFU specially in the treatment of breast cancer. In addition to clinical studies, this review will also look into some basic studies that could address the technical issues related to this modality. In general, HIFU is considered to be safe being non-invasive and non-ionizing. The complication occurrence rate is low and repeated treatment is possible, making it an attractive option for some patients. However, for more than two decades since it was first used to treat breast cancer, clinical studies on HIFU still remain at the investigative stage and are only available in several centers. Reasons contributing to such few studies on HIFU include lack of specialized medical team and bioengineering technical staff, and breast cancer-dedicated imaging-HIFU platform to attain positive outcomes. Despite these circumstances, we believe that HIFU will eventually become the treatment of choice for most breast cancer patients in the near future.

Keywords: High-intensity focused ultrasound, therapeutic ultrasound, ablation, image-guidance, non-invasive modality, breast cancer.