Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD

Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD, attending surgeon at L’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris, France, and member of the Focal Therapy Society, discusses high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment (HIFU) in the context of the European experience with focal therapy. He gives an overview of the 18 current registered clinical trials in Europe focused on HIFU, highlighting that the large majority involve only minor reported complications. Dr. Sanchez-Salas also looks at the intermediate outcomes, concluding that HIFU shows promise for lowering PSA. He also notes that improved procedural controls have led to some groundbreaking technological development. Overall, Dr. Sanchez-Salas argues that the European experience with HIFU includes some of the most relevant advances in the field of focal therapy.