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Updated: May 29, 2026
Evaluation of the Feasibility, Safety, and Accuracy of an Intraoperative High-intensity Focused Ultrasound Device for Treating Liver Metastases
Published on: January 9, 2019
Long-term outcome of high-intensity focused ultrasound in advanced pancreatic cancer
Hye Young Sung1, Seung Eun Jung, Se Hyun Cho
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, The Catholic University of Korea, #62, St Mary’s Hospital, Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-713, Korea.chowhang@catholic.ac.kr
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for advanced pancreatic cancer (PC).
Methods:
Patients with PC TNM stage III or IV were included. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 2 weeks before and after the HIFU. The ablating tumor volume was calculated by ratio of the nonperfused necrotic area of the planned area on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted image on post-HIFU magnetic resonance imaging. The ablation results were stratified into 4 ranges: 100% to 90% unenhanced area of targeting area, 90% to 50%, within 50%, and no change.
Results:
High-intensity focused ultrasound treatment was performed without severe adverse event in 46 patients, 49 times (male-female = 25:21; mean age, 60.7 ± 10.0; TNM stage 3-stage 4 = 18:28). Average size of the PC lesion was 4.2 ± 1.4 cm (1.6-9.3 cm). After HIFU treatment, ablating tumor volume was as follows: 90% to 100% in 38 lesions, 90% to 50% in 8, and within 50% in 3. Overall median survival (S1) from initial PC diagnosis was 12.4 months. Overall survival (S2) rates at 6, 12, and 18 months from HIFU were 52.2%, 30.4%, and 21.79%, respectively, with a median survival of 7.0 months
Conclusions:
High-intensity focused ultrasound is safe and effective, which induced excellent local tumor control in most patients with advanced PC.
