Treatment of implanted liver tumors with focused ultrasound

This article reports treatment of implanted liver tumors (HSN fibrosarcoma) with focused ultrasound (FUS). Experiments were carried out on implanted liver tumors in vivo. In order to determine the optimum treatment conditions, various combinations of exposure parameters were investigated. The results showed that it is possible to achieve total destruction of tumor cells in the treatment volume using an FUS system with a frequency of 1.7 MHz, with in situ ISAL of 261 W/cm2, 5-s exposure duration, and 1.5-mm exposure separation, with an in situ ISAL of 266 W/cm2, 10-s duration, and 2-mm separation, or with in situ ISAL of 213 W/cm2, 8-s duration, and 1.5-mm separation. Fifteen selected tumors were treated with these experimentally determined "optimum" exposure conditions. All the tumors were destroyed completely. Assessment of tumor viability in the treated volume was performed using both histologic and tissue culture methods. The mechanism of tumor damage, the limitations of the tumor model, and the effect of exposure parameters and liver blood flow on the treatment are discussed.