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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 28, 2014; 20(44): 16480-16488
Published online Nov 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i44.16480
Published online Nov 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i44.16480
High intensity focused ultrasound: A noninvasive therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Feng Wu, Institute of Ultrasonic Engineering in Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
Author contributions: Wu F solely contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Feng Wu, MD, PhD, HIFU Unit, The Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ, United Kingdom. feng.wu@nds.ox.ac.uk
Telephone: +44-1865-763100 Fax: +44-1865-751222
Received: June 17, 2014
Revised: July 8, 2014
Accepted: August 13, 2014
Published online: November 28, 2014
Processing time: 168 Days and 6.4 Hours
Revised: July 8, 2014
Accepted: August 13, 2014
Published online: November 28, 2014
Processing time: 168 Days and 6.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Prognosis in unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer is extremely poor. Standard treatments are currently limited to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of the two. Though few regimens may offer a limited survival benefit, novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. As a noninvasive approach, high intensity focused ultrasound therapy can selectively ablate a targeted lesion of the pancreas. Preliminary studies indicate that this approach is safe and feasible, and can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy. It can effectively alleviate cancer-related abdominal pain, and may confer an additional survival benefit with few significant complications.