Hi Abigail,
I think there was a member on this forum who had HIFU as a primary treatment but this is comparatively rare. It is more usual though still not widely given as a salvage therapy for failed Radiotherapy. A man has to meet a more strict criteria to be suitable for HIFU and UCLH is the leading centre for this in the UK. Apart from other considerations, it can in need be repeated or followed by other treatments. HIFU is still regarded as an experimental treatment due to the lack of long term assessment and where done on the NHS is usually within a study (trial). I had HIFI as salvage treatment for failed RT at UCLH in 2015 . This seems to have eradicated the target tumour although another has grown elsewhere in my Prostate. My feeling is that for primary treatment in a suitable prostate Brachytherapy (with or witout the addition of EBRT) or surgery are more proven options but that is not to say HIFU would be prove to be unsuccessful.
Your friend may be interested in this thread about my HIFU experience and follow up. https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t10960-HIFU--my-experience#post133611
Edited by member 06 Dec 2018 at 23:50
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