Maple Leaf HIFU was the first clinic to offer prostate cancer treatment in North America

Prostate cancer is the number one cancer affecting men in North America today. The number of men diagnosed with the disease continues to rise, but the good news is that there are also better treatment options and higher cure rates than ever before. Better screenings and tests have led to an earlier diagnosis, usually before prostate cancer becomes clinically evident. The early stages (T-1 and T-2) have a very good prognosis for cure through various treatment options. Traditional radical prostatectomy and radiation options may not be the best, especially for younger men ages 50 to 75, as side effects can include impotence and incontinence. There are alternative forms of treatment available that are non-invasive and have similar cure rates. One of those treatments is HIFU, or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

For patients with organ-confined prostate cancer, especially in the early stages of prostate cancer, HIFU is a treatment procedure that must be considered over traditional treatment methods of surgery or radiation. HIFU is non-invasive, has fewer side effects, and recovery is faster as it is a single treatment. Results after HIFU remain very positive, comparable to radiation and surgery.

HIFU was approved for use in Canada in 2003. Maple Leaf HIFU was the first HIFU clinic in North America, opened in May 2005. The clinic has treated more men with prostate cancer than any other HIFU clinic in North America . Maple Leaf HIFU has treated more than 700 patients at its downtown Toronto clinic. Maple Leaf HIFU is staffed with the best urologists and registered nurses specially trained in the high intensity focused ultrasound procedure.

The medical director of the clinic is Dr. William Orovan, a urologist with almost 30 years of experience. He explains how he got involved with HIFU: “I have felt for some time that we need to seek treatment options for prostate cancer that are less invasive, with a high expectation of cure, but with minimal side effects. Ablative technologies, such as Ablatherm HIFU, they carry small risks of damage to collateral tissue. Unlike radiation, there is no risk of significant damage to the bladder or rectum in the short or long term. “

HIFU has not yet been approved in the US, but it has been around in Europe much longer than in North America. Worldwide, more than 30,000 men have been treated with HIFU. Extensive clinical studies and published research on Ablatherm HIFU from the last decade show that the results and outcomes are similar to radical prostatectomy and radiation to destroy cancer. HIFU is a preferred treatment as damage to the surrounding nerves and organs is minimal, resulting in fewer side effects and complications. There is also less downtime and quality of life is preserved.

Maple Leaf HIFU is housed within Cleveland Clinic Canada, a world-renowned hospital, care, research and training facility. The Maple Leaf HIFU clinic is the only clinic in North America with the Ablatherm device to perform HIFU. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis.

If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, learn about HIFU prostate cancer and other treatment options. Then discuss them with your doctor and family to find the best treatment for your age, lifestyle, stage of cancer, and other factors.