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Review
. 2025 Aug 12;32(8):452.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol32080452.

Focused Ultrasound for Sarcomas: A Narrative Review

Nidhi Kuchimanchi  1 , Nicolle Sul  2 , Sai Gajula  1 , Margaret Mercante  1 , Emily Tocco  1 , Mackenzie M Mayhew  3 , Lynn T Dengel  3 , Ludimila Cavalcante  4 , Lauren Hadley  2 , Russell Gardner Witt  3
Affiliations
Review

Focused Ultrasound for Sarcomas: A Narrative Review

Nidhi Kuchimanchi et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

Sarcomas are tumors of mesenchymal origin that are generally resistant to systemic therapies and prone to local recurrence despite current multimodal treatment approaches. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a noninvasive therapeutic technology that may enhance standard treatment strategies for primary solid malignancies. FUS exerts its effects through diverse mechanisms, including high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablation, histotripsy, sonodynamic therapy, immunomodulation, and hyperthermia-enhanced drug delivery. In this narrative review, we summarize the mechanisms of focused ultrasound that have been investigated for the treatment of sarcomas and highlight the results of preclinical, veterinary, and clinical studies related to this area.

Keywords: MRI-guided HIFU; focused ultrasound; histotripsy; hyperthermia; immunomodulation; sarcoma; soft tissue tumor; sonodynamic therapy; thermal ablation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors Ms. Nidhi Kuchimanchi, Ms. Sai Gajula, Ms. Margaret Mercante, Ms. Emily Tocco, Dr. Mackenzie M. Mayhew, Dr. Lynn Dengel, Dr. Ludimila Cavalcante, and Dr. Russell G. Witt declare no conflicts of interest. Ms. Nicolle Sul and Dr. Lauren Hadley are employees of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart diagram outlining study inclusion criteria.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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