High Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Treatment of Bone Malignancies—20 Years of History

SIMPLE SUMMARY: High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) allows non-invasive ablation of tumors and denervation of painful bone lesions. For 20 years, this method has been used for pain palliation in patients suffering from bone metastases as well as primary tumors. HIFU has also been used for local treatment of bone tumors. This review article summarizes 20 years of literature’s findings, published on HIFU treatment of bone malignancies with respect to pain palliation, treatment efficacy and safety. ABSTRACT: High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is the only non-invasive method for percutaneous thermal ablation of tissue, with treatments typically performed either under magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound guidance. Since this method allows efficient heating of bony structures, it has found not only early use in treatment of bone pain, but also in local treatment of malignant bone tumors. This review of 20 years of published studies shows that HIFU is a very efficient method for rapid pain relief, can provide local tumor control and has a very patient-friendly safety profile.