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| Ultrasound destroys rectal tumour | Ultrasound destroys rectal tumour |
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| A patient with rectal cancer has become the first to have part of their tumour destroyed by ultrasound, say UK doctors. | A patient with rectal cancer has become the first to have part of their tumour destroyed by ultrasound, say UK doctors. |
| A team of radiologists, surgeons and oncologists at Hammersmith Hospital in London used high intensity ultrasound to heat up and kill the cancer. | A team of radiologists, surgeons and oncologists at Hammersmith Hospital in London used high intensity ultrasound to heat up and kill the cancer. |
| They say the technique will allow faster and more accurate targeting of tumours than conventional treatments. | They say the technique will allow faster and more accurate targeting of tumours than conventional treatments. |
| Hammersmith Hospital will offer the treatment to advanced stage patients. | Hammersmith Hospital will offer the treatment to advanced stage patients. |
| But one expert cautioned that ultrasound treatment could not deal with all the effects of the cancer on its own. | |
| High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is carried out under general anaesthetic. | High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is carried out under general anaesthetic. |
| The device can treat tumours up to about 40cc volume and can heat the tissue up to 90 degrees centigrade | The device can treat tumours up to about 40cc volume and can heat the tissue up to 90 degrees centigrade |
| First patient | First patient |
| The first patient to have the procedure has requested anonymity. | The first patient to have the procedure has requested anonymity. |
| RECTAL CANCER Almost 38,000 patients suffer from rectal cancer per year in the UKApproximately a third of these cancers are within the rectumPatients often suffer from tenesmus - a painful condition where they find it difficult to empty their bowels and need frequent trips to the toilet | RECTAL CANCER Almost 38,000 patients suffer from rectal cancer per year in the UKApproximately a third of these cancers are within the rectumPatients often suffer from tenesmus - a painful condition where they find it difficult to empty their bowels and need frequent trips to the toilet |
| The patient was given a low dose of heat at 70 degrees. | The patient was given a low dose of heat at 70 degrees. |
| Doctors say they are planning to treat 50 more patients and they will closely monitor them to discover the most effective temperature at which to perform the procedure. | Doctors say they are planning to treat 50 more patients and they will closely monitor them to discover the most effective temperature at which to perform the procedure. |
| Unlike radiotherapy, HIFU, can be given to a patient a number of times with minimal risk of toxicity. | Unlike radiotherapy, HIFU, can be given to a patient a number of times with minimal risk of toxicity. |
| The study leader, Professor Paul Abel, from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "There is no incision made during the procedure, it's completely non-invasive, so recovery time will be quicker too. | The study leader, Professor Paul Abel, from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "There is no incision made during the procedure, it's completely non-invasive, so recovery time will be quicker too. |
| "As this is the first time this procedure has ever been performed for rectal cancer, we need to study a wider group of patients to assess how effective the treatment is and whether it has the potential to be curative or to lengthen a patient's life." | "As this is the first time this procedure has ever been performed for rectal cancer, we need to study a wider group of patients to assess how effective the treatment is and whether it has the potential to be curative or to lengthen a patient's life." |
| A spokesman for the charity Beating Bowel Cancer said it welcomes "advances to improve the quality of patients' lives and relieve symptoms". | A spokesman for the charity Beating Bowel Cancer said it welcomes "advances to improve the quality of patients' lives and relieve symptoms". |
| "As this is a world first, we look forward to further studies and results with more patients over a longer period." | "As this is a world first, we look forward to further studies and results with more patients over a longer period." |
| Dr Robert Glynne-Jones, medical director of Bowel Cancer UK, said the difficulty was that ultrasound could not deal with cases where the cancer had spread into the lymph glands of the body. | |
| He said: "We already have a number of ways of dealing with rectal cancer but this may be useful for when the screening programme gets going and we can see very early tumours in the future." |