First Clinic in Canada to Offer HIFU with the Sonablate(R) 500 for Prostate Cancer Now Open in Windsor, Ontario

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronald B. Sorensen, MD, FRCS, a urologist and board certified physician in Canada and the United States, will be performing the very first HIFU treatments with the Sonablate(R) 500 (Focus Surgery, Inc. Indianapolis, IN, USA) in Canada Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5 at the International Prostate Centre (IPC) in Windsor, Ontario.

Dr. Sorensen, co-founder and medical director of IPC, is excited to be offering both American and Canadian men facing prostate cancer this minimally invasive procedure.

"Traditional treatment modalities for prostate cancer, such as surgery or radiation, can lead to side effects such as impotence and incontinence. HIFU with the Sonablate(R) 500 minimizes these side effects and preserves patient quality of life, while providing excellent clinical outcomes," Sorensen said. "HIFU with the Sonablate(R) 500 is intended as a one-time, outpatient procedure with a short recovery period. Patients should be able to return home the day of treatment, thus avoiding lengthy hospital stays, numerous return visits, and the major disruption to normal lifestyles associated with other treatment alternatives."

HIFU, which stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, is a one-time procedure that uses focused sound waves to rapidly heat and destroy the tissue within the prostate. The Sonablate(R) 500 is a thermal ablation device that utilizes a transrectal probe to apply ultrasound energy directly to the prostate without causing damage to surrounding tissue.

"We are continuing our historical commitment to introduce leading-edge, minimally-invasive treatments. We were among the first to offer brachytherapy and high-dose radiation (radioactive seeds) and cryotherapy (freezing)," Sorensen continued. "We constantly review non-surgical alternatives and emerging technologies. We have followed the development of HIFU in Europe and elsewhere for several years. I am convinced after observing and participating in over 50 treatments, that HIFU is safe and effective and that the Sonablate(R) 500 is the HIFU technology of choice. The time is right for making the benefits of this treatment available to our patients."

"We receive a substantial number of inquiries from men in Canada and in the United States who are eager to have the HIFU procedure but do not wish to travel long distances, overseas or to Mexico. Now that the center in Windsor is open, we are pleased to make HIFU with the Sonablate(R) 500 an even more accessible treatment option," said Alex Gonzalez, USHIFU Vice President of Operations.

Anyone interested in a HIFU consultation at IPC should call 519-562-8879 for more information.

Although the Sonablate(R) 500 does not yet have the United States FDA approval, the next phase of clinical trials for localized prostate cancer is expected to begin soon. An FDA approved safety trial for locally recurrent prostate cancer is already enrolling patients. The Sonablate(R) 500 received Class III Medical Device License from the Health Canada Medical Device Bureau in June 2005.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer in North American men and the second leading cause of death. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 232,090 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2005. About 30,350 men will die of this disease.

USHIFU, LLC, based in the United States, is the company responsible for marketing and distributing the Sonablate(R) 500 device through North, Central and South America. The Sonablate(R) 500 was developed by Focus Surgery, Inc. of Indianapolis, IN and is manufactured by Misonix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSON) of Farmingdale, NY.