About this episode
Most medical interventions are either pharmacological–prescribe a drug–or surgical–remove or repair the offending body part. If those approaches are inappropriate, doctors long for a different technology. In this episode, we discuss the development of a relatively new noninvasive technology, focused ultrasound. Doctors use it to treat conditions such as Parkinson disease or essential tremor. It may also be used for tumors in other parts of the body.At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up?to?date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment.
How You Can Listen:
You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. Subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 linked at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on Feb. 23, 2026.
Using Focused Ultrasound:
Most people are familiar with ultrasound being used as a diagnostic tool. They also know about using a magnifying glass to focus a ray of sunlight. With the proper technique, this could light a small fire. In focused ultrasound, the surgeon uses an acoustic lens to target ultrasound waves very precisely inside the body. Dr. Neal Kassell, our guest expert in this episode, is a neurosurgeon. He has used focused ultrasound primarily to treat brain tumors. Treatments require from several hundred to several thousand ultrasound waves.
But doctors have used focused ultrasound to treat over 180 medical conditions. Regulatory authorities around the world have approved its use to treat 35 different conditions. The first to get such approval was uterine fibroids. This technology has been used to offer noninvasive interventions for 22 years. Now, people with Parkinson disease could choose focused ultrasound as an alternative to deep brain stimulation. There are approximately 250 sites in the US that are able to offer this technology to patients.
How Focused Ultrasound Works:
Dr. Kassell described how ultrasound works for problems as dissimilar as liver tumors or essential tremor. There are multiple mechanisms, but scientists have concentrated on three: First, the beams of ultrasound generate heat that can destroy tissue where they are focused. So, tumor or tissue destruction is the fir
