From Julius Wroblewski
The notion of using high-intensity focused ultrasound waves in cancer surgery sounds interesting (4 January, p 38). However, as a pathologist, I have some concerns.
You can make a case for sonic waves cooking an in situ tumour to oblivion, but in practice the inspection of a removed tumour remains important in order to check for a sufficient rim of healthy tissue to verify success. A blind roasting of the cancer gives no such assurance.
The period of post-surgical surveillance is where ultrasound treatment may be at its most beneficial. So many cancers end up evading the scalpel and shooting out metastatic seeds. A two-pronged assault would be good: a sensitive imaging technology that can pick up small metastatic deposits, followed by focused ultrasound bombardment to fry them. Add appropriate chemotherapy and you could be weeding the corporeal garden on a regular basis, prolonging life to who knows what extent.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
