US prostate cancer trial starts for EDAP's HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) therapy:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Representing efforts by EDAP TMS to take its ultrasound-based treatment for prostate cancer to the US market, a 12-centre, 240-patient trial of the technology has begun at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. Researchers are testing the use of the Lyon, France-based firm's high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technique, Ablatherm, as the initial treatment in men with newly-diagnosed, localised prostate cancer. The study will compare the technique with cryotherapy and patients will be monitored over the course of two years. The trial is sponsored by HealthTronics, which in 2004 agreed to distribute Ablatherm in the US. Ablatherm is already widely used in Europe, EDAP noted.