Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound in Clinical Oncology

Traditional antitumor methods of special treatment for malignant neoplasms are open surgery, chemo- and radiation therapy, and, in recent years, immunotherapy. At the same time, they are associated with a number of unfavorable factors (primarily during the surgical stage of special treatment), such as long periods of patients’ hospital stay and subsequent recovery. One of the main goals of technological and medical research in the field of combating malignant neoplasms is to significantly reduce local, regional and systemic side effects compared with traditional methods of treatment and provide additional therapeutic opportunities in cases where traditional methods are ineffective. Not so long ago, relatively new methods of antitumor treatment have been introduced into clinical practice, such as radiofrequency, laser, microwave and cryoablation, and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), which is currently being intensively improved as a non-invasive method of treating a number of primary as well as recurrent solid tumors and metastatic diseases. The article presents in a quite brief form the stages of HIFU method formation, methodological aspects and physical foundations of HIFU therapy, as well as very positive results already achieved in clinical application of this method for the treatment of malignant tumors.

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