Focused Ultrasound Therapy
Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with thyroid nodules. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.
How it Works
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces precise ablation (thermal destruction of tissue) enabling thyroid nodules to be treated without surgery.
Advantages
The primary options for treatment of thyroid nodules include medication and invasive surgery.
For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive alternative to surgery with less risk of complications – such as surgical wound healing or infection – at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary.
Clinical Trials
There is a clinical trial that is treating a wide variety of solid tumors with histotripsy and check point inhibitors.
There is a clinical trial that is organizing in China for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules.
The Foundation updates these pages regularly, but with the increasing number of clinical trials, we want to be sure that our audience has the latest information available. Therefore, we also added the website search information for the above trials. If you click here, it will take you to the latest information available from https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/.
See a list of treatment sites >
See a list of laboratory research sites >
Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement
The Echopulse system manufactured by Theraclion is approved in Europe, Russia and Korea for treating thyroid nodules. Some European insurance companies are paying for focused ultrasound treatment of thyroid nodules.
Notable Papers
Knorren ER, Nijholt IM, Schutte JM, Boomsma MF. Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery for Gynecologic Indications. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2024 Nov;32(4):615-628. doi: 10.1016/j.mric.2024.02.005. Epub 2024 Mar 27. PMID: 39322351
Zhang Q, Liang X, Chen Z. An Updated Review of Thermal Ablation Technology for Uterine Fibroids and Adenomyosis: Focusing on Protecting Fertility. Int J Womens Health. 2024 Sep 23;16:1551-1563. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S473005. eCollection 2024. PMID: 39346931
Mattarello MJ, De Santi F, Mingardi R, Peron C, Mazzucco M. Thermoablation Using Radiofrequency and Microwaves of Autonomous Thyroid Nodules: Our Experience. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2024 Jul 26. doi: 10.2174/0118715303322650240722095733. PMID: 39069800
Vorländer C. Local ablative procedures for treatment of thyroid nodules. [Original Title: Lokalablative Verfahren zur Behandlung von Schilddrüsenknoten.] Chirurgie (Heidelb). 2024 May 21. doi: 10.1007/s00104-024-02101-1. PMID: 38772926
Click here for additional references from PubMed.