Theraclion, a company specializing in advanced medical equipment for echotherapy (or ultrasound therapy), has unveiled very positive initial clinical results in the treatment of thyroid nodules. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of its Echopulse device in the treatment of this condition.
Trials for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules with echotherapy were conducted on 20 patients at The University Hospital of Endocrinology of Sofia, Bulgaria. The treatment reduced the size of the nodules in all patients. The reduction in size at the 6-month mark was an average of 52%. These results demonstrating the effectiveness and excellent tolerance of echotherapy in this indication will be presented at the second edition of the Focused Ultrasound Symposium, which will be held in Rome on 10 and 11 October 2013. A thyroid nodule is a protuberance that develops on the thyroid gland and is usually benign. Surgical intervention is standard treatment when a nodule is suspect, malignant or benign but increases in size or causes physical discomfort for the patient.
"These results with echotherapy are very encouraging. The significant reduction in nodule size at the end of 6 months, with a 94% reduction in some cases, demonstrates that the Echopulse can offer an alternative therapy that is less burdensome to the patient," said Professor Roussanka Kovatcheva of the University Hospital of Endocrinology of Sofia, Bulgaria.
Moreover, new results from trials conducted in the treatment of breast fibroadenoma also confirm the effectiveness of the technology. This benign tumor is the most widespread (10% of women will develop it in the course of their lives) and accounts for more than half of benign breast tumors. These trials were performed on 42 patients in France - The American Hospital of Paris, The Hospital of Valenciennes and The University Hospital of Lille - and Bulgaria at The University Hospital of Endocrinology of Sofia. Treatment of 51 fibroadenomas with echotherapy led to a 71% average reduction in tumor volume one year after the procedure. Also at the 12-month mark, 92% of patients showed a volume reduction of more than 60% and resolution of symptoms. The treatment reduced the size of fibroadenomas in all patients.
"We are very pleased with these encouraging primary results on thyroid nodules and the confirmation of the efficacy of Echopulse in the treatment of breast fibroadenoma. Our technology enables patricians to offer an effective, noninvasive and scarless alternative to their patients," said Stefano Vagliani, CEO of Theraclion.
About Echotherapy
Echotherapy is a novel, noninvasive treatment method consisting of the use of ultrasonic-imaging-guided, high-intensity focused ultrasound (10,000 times higher than what is used in ultrasound imaging) for highly localized ablation without breaching or damaging the skin. The ultrasounds are focused on a small area where the temperature rise leads to tissue necrosis. With this precision treatment, healthy tissue around the lesion is left completely unaffected. The echotherapy is a technique that enables practitioners to visualize and treat simultaneously a thyroid nodule or a tumor such as fibroadenoma with no incision or scar.