Sonalleve MR-HIFU - High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pancreatic Tumor Ablation | Pancreatic Cancer Center CIO Cologne

Sonalleve MR-HIFU (MRI-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) pancreatic tumor ablation at the Pancreatic Cancer Center within CIO Cologne is a non-invasive, image-guided local therapy concept designed to thermally destroy targeted tumor tissue without surgical incisions. The method combines high-energy focused ultrasound with real-time MRI guidance, allowing physicians to precisely steer the focal point within the body and monitor temperature during treatment, ensuring the intended target is heated while overlying tissues, such as the skin, are not cut or mechanically traversed. At University Hospital Cologne, the MR-HIFU platform is listed as a Philips Sonalleve MR-HIFU system. MRI guidance and MR-based temperature measurement are core elements of the technology. The pancreatic cancer center at CIO Cologne has been certified by the German Cancer Society since 2013 and is structurally part of the Visceral Oncology Center at CIO. Each case is coordinated through the CIO tumor board, with participation from the relevant specialties, to define an individualized plan. For pancreatic cancer specifically, Sonalleve MR-HIFU in Cologne is being evaluated as an add-on local ablation approach. It focuses on patients with histologically/cytologically confirmed unresectable ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma (stages IIIb/IV), and whose primary tumor is identifiable and technically reachable for treatment under MRI. The treatment is performed in an MRI environment: MRI is used to plan targeting, control where ultrasound energy is focused, and measure temperature during sonications, while post-treatment imaging assesses the non-perfused volume as a measure of ablation effect. HIFU heats the primary tumor up to about 60°C with the intent of thermal ablation, after which patients continue with further chemotherapy cycles, positioning MR-HIFU as an additional local intervention rather than a replacement for systemic therapy.