Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with melanoma. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How it Works<\/strong> Advantages<\/strong> For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive alternative to surgery with less risk of complications \u2013 such as surgical wound healing or infection \u2013 at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary. Focused ultrasound also enables a enhanced chemotherapy dose for the target, with less impact to the rest of the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a clinical trial<\/strong><\/a> in Ontario Canada, where they are using the combination of low intensity focused ultrasound with microbubbles and radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with melanoma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a clinical trial<\/a> <\/strong>at the University of Virginia testing the safety and efficacy of using focused ultrasound plus immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma. Learn more<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Foundation updates these pages regularly, but with the increasing number of clinical trials, we want to be sure that our audience has the latest information available. Therefore, we also added the website search information for the above trials. If you click here<\/strong><\/a>, it will take you to the latest information available from https:\/\/www.clinicaltrials.gov\/<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Search for a treatment center or clinical trial near you.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Focused ultrasound treatment for melanoma is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jin C, Li D, Zhan W, Wang S, Li G, Li R, Wang Y, Zhou B, Chen F, Wu Q.\u00a0Enhancing the Efficacy of Poly-l-Lactic Acid Injections With Micro-Focused Ultrasound: An Evaluation of Combined Treatment and Optimal Sequence<\/strong><\/a>. J\u00a0Cosmet\u00a0Dermatol. 2026 Jan;25(1):e70637.\u00a0doi: 10.1111\/jocd.70637. PMID: 41532713\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xie H, Li W, Chen Y, Dang K, Huang X, Li B, Yu T, Niu H, Song D, Yang S, Gao S, Huang F, Yang T, Zhang K, Kang Y, Ding P. Innovative melanoma treatment: Acoustic-sensitive foam induces tumor cavitation via the nibbling effect<\/strong><\/a>. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025 Aug 30;776:152231. doi: 10.1016\/j.bbrc.2025.152231. Epub 2025 Jun 18. PMID: 40550194 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Song B, Queen H, Ferris SF, McGinnis R, Karanam C, Gatteno N, Buglak K, Kim H, Xu J, Goughenour KD, Xu Z, Olszewski MA, Cho CS, Ganguly A. Histotripsy-focused ultrasound treatment abrogates tumor hypoxia responses and stimulates anti-tumor immune responses in melanoma<\/a><\/strong>. Mol Cancer Ther. 2025 Mar 19. doi: 10.1158\/1535-7163.MCT-24-0715. PMID: 40105625 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dougherty SC, Flowers WL, Gaughan EM. Precision Oncology in Melanoma: Changing Practices<\/strong><\/a>. J Nucl Med. 2024 Nov 14:jnumed.124.267781. doi: 10.2967\/jnumed.124.267781. PMID: 39542696 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thim EA, Kitelinger LE, Rivera-Escalera F, Mathew AS, Elliott MR, Bullock TNJ, Price RJ. Focused ultrasound ablation of melanoma with boiling histotripsy yields abscopal tumor control and antigen-dependent dendritic cell activation<\/strong><\/a>. Theranostics. 2024 Feb 11;14(4):1647-1661. doi: 10.7150\/thno.92089. eCollection 2024. PMID: 38389838 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Curley CT, Stevens AD, Mathew AS, Stasiak K, Garrison WJ, Miller GW, Sheybani ND, Engelhard VH, Bullock TNJ, Price RJ. Immunomodulation of intracranial melanoma in response to blood-tumor barrier opening with focused ultrasound<\/strong><\/a>. Theranostics. 2020 Jul 11;10(19):8821-8833. doi: 10.7150\/thno.47983. eCollection 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sethuraman SN, Singh MP, Patil G, Li S, Fiering S, Hoopes PJ, Guha C, Malayer J, Ranjan A. Novel calreticulin-nanoparticle in combination with focused ultrasound induces immunogenic cell death in melanoma to enhance antitumor immunity<\/strong><\/a>. Theranostics. 2020 Feb 10;10(8):3397-3412. doi: 10.7150\/thno.42243. eCollection 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces precise ablation (thermal destruction of tissue). This destruction can be done to completely destroy the target or to partially treat it, and partial treatment is believed to stimulate the patient\u2019s immune response, which may have a broader impact. There is also the combination of lower intensity focused ultrasound that can be used with or without microbubbles and in combination with other therapeutic modalities, such as radiotherapy for a combined benefit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The primary options for treatment of melanoma include invasive surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClinical Trials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Find a Treatment Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Notable Papers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n