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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ablatherm® HIFU Prostate Cancer Treatment a Safe Alternative
to Surgery or Radiotherapy

New York, April 4, 2005 — Ablatherm® HIFU, a technique using non-invasive, high intensity focused ultrasound in prostate cancer patients, is now available in North America. This proven prostate cancer treatment was developed in Europe and has been successfully used in thousands of patients. To learn more about the Ablatherm® HIFU treatment visit www.hifu.ca.

The prostate gland is a chestnut shaped organ surrounding the urethra at the base of the bladder. Its primary function is to produce seminal liquid, which is used as a means of transportation for the sperm. Prostate cancer, the leading cancer in North American males, occurs when a cluster of cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably. When detected early, these tumors are confined to the prostate allowing for a cure rate of 90% and above.

Until recently, definitive treatment options for localized prostate cancer included either radical surgery or radiation. Unfortunately, both treatments were associated with significant side effects including impotence (loss of erections) and incontinence of urine. The surgical approach, known as a radical prostatectomy, requires the complete removal of the prostate including the seminal vesicles, deferent canals, and part of the bladder neck. This major surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia requires hospitalization for a number of days.

External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment is a non-invasive technique requiring high levels of radiation to be directed through the pelvis into the prostate. The daily treatments are completed in a cancer center over a 7-week period (35 treatments in total). Immediate complications include fatigue and malaise while long-term problems include erectile dysfunction and incontinence. Recent information suggests that external beam radiation for prostate cancer is associated with a 70% increased risk of rectal cancer.

Additional treatment options for localized prostate cancer includes brachytherapy, a surgical procedure during which radioactive pellets are inserted into the diseased prostate gland, and cryotherapy, during which probes are surgically placed into the prostate and areas are frozen thus destroying portions of prostate tissue. Each of these procedures carries with it their own significant side effects including incontinence and impotence as well as severe pelvic pain and rectal injury in the case of cryotherapy. Cancer recurrence rates are higher than with the use of Ablatherm® HIFU.

Ablatherm® HIFU is a non-invasive and highly precise procedure using high intensity focused ultrasound to eliminate prostate cancer. Ninety per cent of patients can be treated by a single procedure lasting generally 1 to 3 hours. Patients are generally discharged a few hours after the procedure. There are fewer side effects with the Ablatherm® HIFU treatment than conventional treatments such as radical prostatectomy, radiation, and cryotherapy.

During the procedure, an Ablatherm® HIFU probe is placed into the rectum after
administration of anesthesia. A high intensity and focused beam of ultrasound is directed into the prostate, which rapidly raises the temperature of the prostate to 85 degrees Celsius and destroys the prostate tissue. By computer imaging, the prostate beam is focused to incorporate the entire prostate gland. The Ablatherm® HIFU procedure is completed without blood loss or exposure to radiation.

Ablatherm® HIFU can be effectively used on patients with localized prostate cancer (clinical stage T-1 or T-2) who would otherwise be considered curable by radiation or radical surgery. This treatment can also be considered in patients who have received EBRT for localized prostate cancer but who have developed a recurrence without evidence of disease outside of the prostate.

About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in North America and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer deaths in North American males. It is estimated that 39 million men in North America, Europe and Japan have prostate cancer. Each year, over 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer are detected in the United States representing one new case of prostate cancer every 2 minutes. Over 40,000 men will die of this disease each year.

About Ablatherm® HIFU Treatment

For additional information about Ablatherm® HIFU, please visit www.hifu.ca.