Database to follow patients undergoing partial-gland HIFU
A consortium of medical institutions is introducing the Focal Robotic Ultrasound Ablation (FoR-UsA) Registry. The new database will track baseline and follow-up information on patients undergoing partial-gland ablation of the prostate using the Ablatherm Robotic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) device, manufactured by EDAP TMS. In related news, EDAP announced that CIGNA became the first major U.S. private health insurance company to reimburse prostate cancer patients who failed radiation and are eligible for HIFU as a salvage therapy. The CIGNA policy covers HIFU as a salvage therapy for patients whose early-stage prostate cancer has not metastasized and who meet both of these criteria: positive, recent (ie, repeat) transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy completed due to suspicion of local recurrence of prostate cancer; and candidate for local therapy alone as evidenced by all of the following: original clinical stage T1-T2, NX, or N0; recent PSA of less than 10.0 ng/mL; and absence of distant metastases.