title: Safety evaluation of high-intensity focused ultrasound in patients with pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was performed to analyze the safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treating pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  224 cases with advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled into this study. Real-time sonographic images were taken, and vital signs, liver and kidney function, skin burns, local reactions, and systemic effects were monitored and recorded before, during, and after HIFU. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was also performed before and after HIFU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum amylase level increased in 16 cases (7.1%) 1 day after HIFU treatment, and 9 of these cases also had abnormal urinary amylase levels. Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction such as abdominal distension and anorexia with slight nausea was observed in 10 cases (4.5%) after HIFU treatment. 1 case with pancreatic head cancer developed obstructive jaundice 2 weeks after HIFU treatment. Vertebral injury, identified by MRI, occurred in 2 cases, although no symptoms were seen. No severe complications such as skin burns, lesion bleeding, GI tract bleeding or GI perforation were observed in any of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For specific patients, HIFU treatment is a safe, non-invasive treatment for pancreatic cancer but requires careful preoperative preparation and exact operative performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huili
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Junhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Huifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome