High-intensity focused ultrasound plus concomitant radiotherapy: a new weapon in oncology?

The potential impact of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to general medicine and oncology seems very high. However, while in the research area, the development of this technique is very rapid and unchallenged. The direct application of HIFU to human tumour therapy is hampered by various technical difficulties, which may confine its role to a marginal device in the surgery armamentarium. To deploy the full potential of focused ultrasound in oncology, it seems necessary to review the basic relationship between HIFU and external beam radiotherapy. This is the aim of the present work.