Loyola University Medical Center Offers Cutting-Edge, Non-Invasive Prostate Cancer Treatment with Life-Changing Results

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. In 2020 alone, approximately 300,000 men in the United States received this diagnosis. Fortunately, when detected early, prostate cancer is highly treatable. Left untreated, however, it can spread beyond the prostate and become life-threatening.

Vernon English, 63, is living proof of the power of early detection and advanced treatment. After a routine screening revealed an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level—a potential indicator of prostate cancer—English turned to Loyola University Medical Center for answers. An MRI revealed a suspicious area and a biopsy confirmed he had intermediate-risk prostate cancer, meaning the cancer was still confined to the prostate but required timely intervention.

English met with Dr. Gopal Gupta, MD, FACS, a urologic oncologist at Loyola, to explore his treatment options. Given the location and risk level of his cancer, English was an ideal candidate for a groundbreaking, non-invasive procedure known as High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU).

Dr. Gupta told him that with focal therapy, there would be no need to treat the entire prostate. “We treat just the area that has cancer. HIFU concentrates high-frequency ultrasound waves into an area about the size of a grain of rice.”

HIFU uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to generate localized heat, destroying cancerous cells with pinpoint accuracy. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, requires no incision and typically allows patients to return home the same day.

Loyola has long been a leader in prostate cancer innovation and is one of the first institutions in Chicago to offer HIFU. Dr. Gupta emphasized that compared to traditional surgery, HIFU offers significantly better outcomes in preserving urinary continence and erectile function. There’s no blade, no scar and no radiation, which lowers the risk of side effects like incontinence or erectile dysfunction is much lower.

English underwent the HIFU procedure in February 2024 and was discharged the same day. Today, he remains cancer-free and is back to enjoying life without limitations. “After about three weeks, everything was fine,” he said. “I was back to work, up and about, and I had no side effects at all.

Watch English’s story here: HIFU: A Non-Surgical Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer