Clinicians, scientists, and international focused ultrasound experts gathered in Leipzig last month for the 4th European Symposium on Focused Ultrasound Therapy. Suzanne LeBlang, MD, the Foundation’s Co-Chief Medical Officer attended the meeting, which was supported by the Foundation. The agenda included a pre-conference workshop on experimental principles and techniques followed by two days of scientific presentations and panel discussions. More than 50 abstracts were presented.

“I was impressed with the number and quality presentations from new or young investigators,” said Dr. LeBlang. “A novel area that caught my eye was the use of focused ultrasound in combination with robotics. Overall, the field is making notable progress, especially in oncology – from pancreatic cancer and liver tumors to immunotherapy and drug delivery.”

The scientific program reflected the breadth of the technology, with technical and clinical research covering a broad range of conditions, including:

• Abdomen: liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, moving tissues
• Brain: Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, glioblastoma, blood-brain barrier opening
• Bone: metastasis, osteoid osteoma, facet pain
• Cardiovascular: myocardium
• Oncology: tumor immunotherapy, drug delivery
• Women’s Health: breast fibroadenoma, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis