A three-day medical summit on focused ultrasound will bring more than 100 speakers to the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner starting Nov. 11. The noninvasive technology uses targeted sound waves to treat conditions deep in the body without incisions or radiation.
The Focused Ultrasound Foundation announced the program and speaker lineup for its 20th anniversary celebration, running Nov. 11–13. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner is set to deliver welcome remarks.
The event, titled "Celebrating Focused Ultrasound: The Future Is Now," will feature 30 sessions covering patient perspectives, expert keynotes, panel discussions and treatment spotlights. Topics span essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, brain tumors, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, uterine fibroids, chronic pain and substance use disorders.
Neal F. Kassell, the Foundation's chairman and founder, said the gathering marks a turning point for the field. "Over the past two decades, the field of focused ultrasound has advanced from a bold vision to a proven, widely used therapy that is changing lives every day," Kassell said in the Foundation's Sept. 9 announcement.
The Charlottesville-based nonprofit describes itself as the largest non-governmental funding source for focused ultrasound research. The technology has received 12 FDA regulatory authorizations across 10 diseases and conditions in the United States, with 40 regulatory approvals worldwide, according to the Foundation. More than one million patients have been treated globally, the Foundation said.
The procedure aims sound waves at tissue inside the body, skipping incisions and radiation. Doctors use MRI or ultrasound imaging to guide the waves in real time, according to the Foundation. The technology is in various stages of research and clinical use for nearly 200 conditions.
Beyond the sessions, attendees can expect a welcome reception, a poster session with more than 100 research posters, networking time and an evening dinner called "The Power of Sound."
Registration is open for both in-person and virtual attendance at celebration.fusfoundation.org. Pricing was not listed in the Foundation's announcement.
What's ahead
- Nov. 11–13: Focused Ultrasound Foundation 20th Anniversary Celebration, Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Register at celebration.fusfoundation.org.
