Pulsed high energy ultrasound-a potential approach to cancer therapy?

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy using pulsed-high-energy-ultrasound (PHEUS) has been proven highly successful and is rapidly gaining worldwide acceptance as a noninvasive technique for the removal of kidney stones and gallstones, in spite of side effects observed in some patients such as local hemorrhage, edema and patchy necrosis in the surrounding soft tissues. Because PHEUS can deposit energy at some depth within a tissue there is interest in evaluating its potential for therapeutic application, especially with regard to malignant tissues. On the basis of the authors´ own results, the use of ultrasound as a therapeutic modality in cancer therapy is reviewed and critically discussed. In addition the possible role of ultrasound as a adjuvant treatment combined with chemotherapy or hyperthermia is considered and preliminary results presented