Development of a toroidal high-intensity focused ultrasound transducer for the treatment of pancreatic tumors. In vivo study of the safety and efficacy in a porcine model

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the most frequent primary malignancy of the pancreas. PDA has increased in incidence during the last decade and now constitutes the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality. New focal destruction technologies such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) may improve the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Given the inconvenience and disadvantages of extracorporeal HIFU, we developed an intraoperative HIFU probe, initially designed for the treatment of colorectal liver metastasis, with encouraging results. The principal interest lies in the possibility of treating hepatic parenchyma in a short period. The intraoperative HIFU probe designed for the treatment of liver tumors could be used for pancreatic tumors. The aim of this preclinical study was to determine the safety and efficacy of intraoperative HIFU in vivo on pancreatic tissue in a porcine model.