High-intensity focused ultrasound plus concomitant radiotherapy: a new weapon in oncology?
The potential impact of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to general medicine and oncology seems very high. However, while in the research area, the development of this technique is very rapid and unchallenged. The direct application of HIFU to human tumour therapy is hampered by various technical difficulties, which may confine its role to a marginal device in the surgery armamentarium. To deploy the full potential of focused ultrasound in oncology, it seems necessary to review the basic relationship between HIFU and external beam radiotherapy. This is the aim of the present work.
University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Borasi
IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalù, Palermo, 90015, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Russo
Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Milan, 20089, Italy.
Filippo
F
Alongi
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Bebington, CH63 4JY, UK.
Alan
A
Nahum
IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalù, Palermo, 90015, Italy.
Giuliana Carmela
GC
Candiano
IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalù, Palermo, 90015, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Stefano
IBFM-CNR, Segrate, Milan, 20090, Italy.
Maria Carla
MC
Gilardi
University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan 20126, Italy.
Cristina
C
Messa
A new weapon against cancer; EBRT; HIFU; HT; Integration of HIFU and EBRT