Maple Leaf HIFU
1377 Cormorant Road, Suite 203
Ancaster, Ontario, L9G 4V5 Canada
phone: (905) 648-4347
fax: (905) 648-4942
Symbol Private
Founded 0
Employees
www.hifu.ca
Research Sector
Summary Description
High Intensity Focused Ultrasound to Treat Prostate Cancer
Management
William L. Orovan, M.D. FRCS(C), FACS (Medical Director)
Keywords
cancer, prostate, ultrasound, beam, minimally invasive, canada, HIFU

Comment | Printable Version | Sept. 09, 2008
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Description
Maple Leaf HIFU is a privately held Canadian medical services company dedicated to providing prostate cancer patients across North America with access to the latest, non-invasive treatment alternative, Ablatherm (R) HIFU. High intensity focused ultrasound is used to rapidly heat and to ensure precise destruction of pathogenic tissue with minimal side effects.
Products / Services
Treatment of localized prostate cancer with Ablatherm (R) HIFU presents many advantages, including destruction of cancerous tissue with no incident of injury to the rectum since parameters for the device were updated in 2002. The HIFU is performed under spinal or epidural anesthesia and without radiation exposure. Each treatment takes from one-three hours in an outpatient setting, depending on the size of the prostate, and the patient may undergo additional HIFU or consider alternative procedures if necessary. Ablatherm (R) HIFU can be used for the treatment of local recurrences (i.e. after external beam radiotherapy).
Technology / Differentiation
Ablatherm (R) HIFU is a procedure during which the temperature inside the prostate is raised to 85 degrees Celsius using a focused ultrasound beam. A probe is placed into the rectum after anesthesia has been administered and emits a beam of high intensity focused ultrasound. At the focal point (where the ultrasound is focused), the sudden and intense absorption of the ultrasound beam quickly raises the temperature and destroys targeted cells. It is possible to destroy multiple areas of prostate cancer tissue by adjusting the focal point and repeating the procedure.
Market / Customers
An estimated 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States by the end of 2008. Ablatherm (R) HIFU is intended for patients in the earliest stages of prostate cancer (known as T-1 and T-2), in which the cancer has not metastasized outside prostate wall. The probability of curing T1 and T2 prostate cancer is 75-95%, usually via conventional treatment options like radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. While these procedures may result in urinary incontinence, impotence, and rectal complications, HIFU has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of these side effects.
Status
The Maple Leaf HIFU clinic was launched in April 2005 in Toronto, Ontario. At present, Ablatherm (R) HIFU is being used throughout Europe, Canada, Russia and other Asian countries. As of 2007, EDAP TMS S.A. (the global developer and marketer of HIFU treatment) is conducting U.S. Phase II/III trials at the Virginia Urology Center in Richmond, VA and expects to receive FDA approval for Ablatherm (R) HIFU by 2011.