A new technology may soon be able to replace radiotherapy which in the process of killing cancer cells injures healthy tissues as well.

A new non-invasive treatment equipment for solid organ tumours, the first high-technology medical equipment developed by the mainland researchers, will be introduced for the first time in Hong Kong in January next year.

The High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Treatment System costing over HK$10 million was developed by Chongqing University of Medical Sciences (CUMS), and donated to the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

HKU will open a "HIFU Treatment Centre" at Queen Mary Hospital on January 1, 2007 to provide clinical service to cancer patients, which is the first HIFU system in Hong Kong.

The two universities will work on collaborative research on HIFU treatment and further development of the application of this new treatment on cancer patients.

Directed by ultrasound, the treatment uses 3-dimensional scanning on tumour and focused ultrasound to ablate the tumour.

Ultrasound is a high frequency mechanical wave that can be put to focus, penetrate through body tissues and accumulate energy on targeting tissues.

Speaking about the introduction of the new treatment, Professor Ronnie Poon Tung-ping, Department of Surgery, HKU's Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, yesterday said HIFU was like focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass on tumour.

The treatment ablates tumour in two ways. The first is by heating effect, where temperature change of more than 60 degree Celsius in 0.5 second could damage tissue, he said.

Another effect is cavitation, where changes in the size of bubbles would cause contraction and inflation, and finally cell damage, he said.

HIFU is another option for cancer patients than existing ablation therapies such as radiofrequency and microwave ablation, he said.

"It poses less risk of damage to surrounding organs or vital structures because of its high precision in focusing ultrasound in the targeted lesions," he said. "It does not have the side effects of radiotherapy because ultrasound is a safe energy outside the targeted lesions."

"Because it can ablate tumour in targeted lesions only, patients with tumour on their legs, for example, do not need to cut their legs," he said.

"Also, it can be used to treat large tumours of 10cm that cannot be treated with current ablation methods," he said.

HIFU Treatment Centre at Queen Mary Hospital has done two trial cases of liver patients early this month. Both patients did not have any side effect from the treatment, and they were discharged from the hospital the next day, he said.

One HIFU treatment will cost HK$20,000 to HK$30,000 and the hospital will treat two patients a day when the new technology is introduced next year, he said.

Two doctors from Queen Mary Hospital trained at CUMS would use the new technology for the HIFU treatment, he said.

Prof Ronnie said HIFU treatment is now most commonly applied to liver cancer, the number two killer cancer in Hong Kong.

The centre would use the treatment on cancers of the breast, kidney, bone and uterine fibroid in future, he said.

But the treatment could only be used on solid tumours in the body. The treatment is not suitable for patients with leukemia, for example, where tumour is mobile inside blood, he said.

The treatment is also not suitable for patients already in the fourth phase of liver cancer, he said.

Approved by the European Union last year, there are almost 800 cases of clinical application in the HIFU treatment centre in Chongqing and 4,000 cases around the world.

The HIFU has been sold to overseas countries like the UK, Japan and South Korea. The Oxford University has also bought the equipment.

(HK Edition 11/21/2006 page2)