HIFU

[Princeps]

Has Anyone out there had the HIFU procedure?

If yes, have you had any side effects? And as it is not yet coveted by insurances, what did you pay out of pocket and where did you have it done?

[Tall_Allen]

Read this first:

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2016/12/...

[Princeps in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you

[TFBUNDY]

Yeah I had HIFU 16 months ago. I live in civilization so all medical treatment is free of charge. Apart from a urethral stricture which was recently rodded out, I would say the side effects are minimal. The great benefit I see is that all other treatments are still available, including RT and surgery, and more HIFU if the horror rears its head again. I was quite a severe case for HIFU, but pushed for it against all the other horrific options offered to me. I had about 40% gland ablation across the mid line, hence the stricture. My PSA is around 1.2 (1.4 is highest post treatment) from a peak of around 8. Ejaculate volume is greatly diminished, making for less of a dirty job ;-). I believe that there was quite an immune response to the bits of frazzled tumor judging by the temporarily enlarged lymph nodes, which temporarily freaked me out. More blood test results today. If I were going again I would choose HIFU or TULSA PRO. The only thing I would say is keep up with regular PSA testing so that if you need remediation it's done early. Complacency kills. Cheers

[Princeps in reply to TFBUNDY]

Thank you

[TFBUNDY in reply to Princeps]

Just got my biopsy results at 15 months post HIFU. No detectable abnormalities. Sounds good to me. Cheers

[Princeps in reply to TFBUNDY]

Sounds good; congrats!

[timotur]

You may check out the TulsaPro procedure, it's basically ultrasound through the urethra instead of the rectum like HIFU.

TULSA relies on a rod-shaped device that is inserted into the urethra. The novel device has 10 ultrasound-generating elements that can cover the entire prostate gland. One or more of the elements are used to send out sound waves that heat and destroy the target prostate tissue. The elements are controlled automatically by a software algorithm that can adjust the shape, direction and strength of the therapeutic ultrasound beam. The entire procedure takes place in an MRI scanner so that doctors can closely monitor treatment and assess the degree and location of heating.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

[Princeps in reply to timotur]

Thank you

[kapakahi]

Yes. Four times from 2008 - 2015. Obviously it didn't kill the cancer, though kept it from metastacizing. Side effects were total loss of ejaculation after #1, which was a stunner, especially since I had just gotten married; increasing impotence after that to the point where I don't even try anymore; minimal urinary issues at first, increasing later but not totally out of control. I had the first two in Germany, the second two in France, all by leaders in the field.

And all before I discovered this site and Tall Allen. I had little to go on at the time, and great fear - I'd fallen in love, got married, living in bliss...then wham! Prostate cancer. Another wham - melanoma. Twice.

Now it's back, and I'm trying mebendazole, which seems to have decreased my PSA after it tripled in 8 months; now it's back to double what it was. I have no idea what I'm doing. But I've been extraordinarily lucky compared to most guys here.

[Princeps in reply to kapakahi]

Good luck with your situation

Thank you for the response

[Londear1992]

My husband, Alan, had HIFU April 11th last year in Munich, Germany by one of the pioneers of this technique. Dr Thuroff has been doing HIFU procedures for more than 24 years. Alan is doing great - he had 0 incontinence, and has fully recovered his erectile function, He just turned 67. He was Gleason 8. Dana Farber wanted him to have RP, followed by 7 weeks of radiation plus ADT, but Alan opted for HUFU instead. He is very glad for his choice. It would have cost $25,000 in this country but cost $7,600 in Germany with superior equipment (Focal One) and more experienced operators. Alan's PSA was over 12 before his procedure, in which almost half of his prostate was ablated. His first post HIFU was 0.19 and since has been 0.21. This article by urologist Bert Vorstman addresses less invasive treatments for more aggressive prostate cancers: medium.com/@bvorstman/prost... All the best to you as you decide on your treatment.

[Princeps in reply to Londear1992]

Thank you for your encouraging reply.

Can you please PM me the contact for Dr. Thuroff in Germany?

Kind regards,

Frank

[Londear1992 in reply to Princeps]

Hi, Frank. I would be glad to do so. Please remind me how to do PM in this site. Thanks!

[Londear1992 in reply to Princeps]

Ignore last message. Just found a way to message you. Will do so soon.

[Currumpaw]

Hey Princeps!

Have you heard of FLA? Dr. Karamanian is one of best. I don't know Dr. Karamanian and have never spoken to him. I follow a thread where men who have had FLA post. The doctors who perform FLA are exiting the learning curve. FLA is more precise or has been more precise than HIFU.

I had HIFU.

Be wary of fluoroquinolones. The repeated use of these drugs has caused much damage to my body. The fluoroquinolones can cause aortic aneurysms. The percentage of aortic aneurysms doubles for those who have been given these drugs. Cipro and Levaquin are the two most favored by the uros. Rocephin and Cefdinir can be used rather than the fluoroquinolones. These drugs go for old injuries, even soft tissue. Old injuries are the low hanging fruit for these drugs. I lost both shoulders. My right shoulder had gone bad in 1981, (an athletic injury), and had been healed since. A ligament or tendon in my lower back that ripped and had been healed since 1988 and a hip that was injured in a fall in 1999 all have gone bad. I no longer expect these injuries to fully heal again. There is just too much damage from the flouros. Post ablation saturation biopsies can also cause permanent damage.

Currumpaw

[Princeps in reply to Currumpaw]

Thank you for the reply and advice