Urologists critical of HIFU on Twitter

Urologists on Twitter criticized high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and in some instances even mocked the treatment.

Their comments came in response to a recent "Speak Out" article in which urologists discussed HIFU, as well as results from a Urology Times poll showing that 54% of respondents feel that HIFU has a future in the U.S. for treating prostate cancer. Declan Murphy, MB BCH, had a strong reaction to the poll results:

US urologists vote for HIFU @UrologyTimes. Have you all gone mad?? pic.twitter.com/VopwOPKyqr

- Declan Murphy (@declangmurphy) February 13, 2014

Other users mocked the treatment by joking about comical alternate uses for it:

@declangmurphy@daviesbj@UrologyTimes Could use it to warm coffee up I suppose #hifulatte

- Cycling Urologist (@KearsleyJamie) March 1, 2014

@declangmurphy@daviesbj HIFU machine would probably make a nice pot plant holder or prop for UFO movie ( anal probing etc ) #HIFUuses

- Cycling Urologist (@KearsleyJamie) March 1, 2014

Not everyone was completely negative about HIFU, however. Urologist Mutahar Ahmed, MD, of the New Jersey Center for Prostate Cancer & Urology, tweeted: 

@UrologyTimes#prostatecancer#hifu. HIFU will have limited role in prostate cancer but may play bigger role in kidney cancer

- Mutahar Ahmed (@RoboticsUrology) January 1, 2014

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