- Minimally invasive precision treatment
- Lower risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction
- Outpatient procedure with quick recovery
Albert “Al” Hellinger is spending his happy retirement days traveling around Europe with his wife Alberta – when he’s not focused on bonding with his six grandchildren, ages 1 to 13 years old.
After receiving innovative High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, however, what he is no longer primarily focused on is prostate cancer.
“I’m one of the HIFU sales advocates because at my age most of my friends either have prostate issues or they’re going through the evaluations,” he laughs. “I had no discomfort whatsoever. The recovery was quick and I can’t say enough good about it.”
Born in Germany, Al has been a Buffalonian since he was four. He retired 10 years ago from a career that included work in the Fisher Price toy industry and his own brand licensing company. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer of 2024 by his urologist.
“The couple of treatment options I had were basically surgery or radiation,” he says, adding that he was initially advised he would need to undergo as many as 48 radiation treatments.
“I needed another opinion and I thought, ‘Roswell. They’re right here and a prominent prostate cancer institution.'”
New HIFU treatment is far less invasive
At Roswell Park, Al first met with Khurshid Guru, MD, Chair of the Urology Department, who also offered treatment options that included surgery and radiation.
“Dr. Guru laid out a number of options for me, and they were much better than what I was hearing at my urologist,” he explains of his decision to come to Roswell Park. “My urologist was looking at doing some 48 radiation treatments, and Roswell was talking maybe 12 to 15. Maybe.”
After succinctly explaining the details of his options, Dr. Guru sent Al to Roswell Park urologist Ahmed Aly, MD, to determine if he was eligible for an advanced new prostate cancer treatment called HIFU. Roswell Park is the only provider in the Buffalo region to offer HIFU therapy for prostate cancer treatment.
“I was fortunate and I did qualify, because of the location and extent of the cancer,” Al says. “If it were more widespread I would not have been a candidate, but mine was suitable for HIFU.”
What is HIFU for prostate cancer?
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is an advanced, minimally invasive, nonsurgical option for treating prostate cancer that allows patients to go home the same day.
The focal therapy treats only the part of the prostate gland that has cancer, rather than surgically removing the entire gland, allowing for precise treatment of the affected part of the prostate without damaging healthy tissue, including the urinary sphincter and the erectile nerves.
“There are no incisions, and no needles involved, so recovery is much faster for patients,” Dr. Aly explains. “There’s no exposure to radiation, and the patients are under general anesthesia so there shouldn't be significant pain.”
How does HIFU treat prostate cancer?
HIFU uses ultrasonic waves, sound waves, generated at a high frequency by a transducer to kill cancer cells in the prostate. The sound waves target the affected area and rapidly heat up the cancer cells to kill them.
The prostate is first scanned using an ultrasound probe. The generated images are utilized by your urologist to plan the procedure to target the cancer cells precisely with an adequate safety margin, leaving the healthy tissue unharmed and reducing the chance of side effects like urinary leakage and erectile dysfunction.
“The length of the procedure really depends on the size of the area we’re treating. The bigger the area, the longer the treatment will be. On average it can be a couple of hours, with about 30 to 45 minutes of recovery time," Dr. Aly says.
Who is eligible for HIFU?
“HIFU can be an alternative for surgery or radiation for patients who prioritize their quality of life, preservation of sexual function and urinary control,” he adds.
Ideal candidates for HIFU are patients with low or intermediate risk, early-state prostate cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate. Other criteria include the grade of the tumor, the location and whether it's visible on imaging or not. Patients with prostate cancers on active surveillance that started to show signs of progression and who want to consider an alternative to surgery or radiation may also be considered good candidates.
"If the cancer recures in the untreated area, what we call 'out-of-field,' or even in a previously treated area HIFU can be used again. It can even be used as salvage therapy in select men who fail prior radiation treatment," Dr. Aly says.
"Nevertheless, no procedure is complication free. Complications might occur with HIFU, but the risk of developing them is significantly lower compared to surgery and radiation. All patients will require a catheter after the procedure for a few days. The prostate swells initially because of the inflammation before it starts to shrink."
Although Al experienced some issues with the catheter that was placed post-procedure and removed a few days later, his Roswell Park team prepared him and always responded to him promptly and effectively. Overall, he says, “I’m doing great.”
Need a second opinion?
If you have a suspicion or diagnosis of prostate cancer, you need a second opinion. We will ensure you get it without delay.
Why HIFU at Roswell Park for prostate cancer?
“I can’t say enough good things about Roswell and that whole urology team, especially Dr. Aly’s group. The staff are cutting-edge. They give you all your options. They take the time to explain to you what those options are and what the side effects of those options are,” Al says.
“The recovery post-procedure is nothing compared to radiation or surgery, and returning to normal is, I think, much quicker than with the other two alternatives.”
He tells friends that getting a cavity in your tooth filled is more painful than HIFU prostate cancer treatment at Roswell Park, he adds. At 75, Albert Hellinger is glad he made the decision to come to Roswell Park for prostate cancer treatment – and has returned full time to happy retirement days doting on his grandkids.
“Having such experienced and qualified people caring for me was great, so I recommend Roswell Park all the time. They’re the best,” he says.
Editor’s Note: Cancer patient outcomes and experiences may vary, even for those with the same type of cancer. An individual patient’s story should not be used as a prediction of how another patient will respond to treatment. Roswell Park is transparent about the survival rates of our patients as compared to national standards, and provides this information, when available, within the cancer type sections of this website.
