Patients suffering from prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, can now avail the non-invasive High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre at Peddar Road. The technology allows speedy and hassle free treatment of early stage prostate cancer

without the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. "This technology is not here to replace any other technique. It can only be used to treat cancer that is confined to the organ and has not spread to any other part of the body," said Dr. Shailesh Raina, urologist at Jaslok hospital, at a press conference on Friday. The device was introduced in the country last January at Promila Hospital, Hyderabad and is also present in two hospitals in Delhi. In Mumbai, Yavar Abbas (89), a filmmaker, was the first to benefit from the treatment. HIFU works on the principal of focussing ultrasound energy in a small area that heats up and destroys the targeted tissue while leaving the healthy tissue around it intact. The procedure can be performed in a mere four to six hours, ruling out the need for admissions.

The organisation plans to launch an awareness campaign in major metros in April.