System, apparatus and method for high intensity focused ultrasound and tissue healing activation

A method of treating cancer, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) placing a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) probe including at least one transducer proximate a designated treatment volume of a patient, the designated treatment volume being a macroscopic three-dimensional volume and including at least a portion of an organ, the designated treatment volume being located beneath subcutaneous fat of the patient;
• b) ablating a first portion of the designated treatment volume with energy emanating from the transducer of the HIFU probe using a first set of parameters designed to achieve ablation of the first portion, this step including delivering HIFU via the HIFU probe at a frequency of at least 1 MHz for at least 3 seconds to raise a temperature of the first portion of the designated treatment volume to above 65° C., the first portion being a three-dimensional volume having a width, a height, and a depth, the first portion being located entirely beneath the subcutaneous fat of the patient such that ultrasound waves pass from the transducer through the subcutaneous fat so as not to treat the subcutaneous fat and the ultrasound waves coalesce at the first portion, the first portion not encompassing or contacting the organ;
• c) delivering a nonablative dose of energy to a second portion of the designated treatment volume with energy emanating from the HIFU probe using a second set of parameters designed to achieve such a nonlethal dose, this step including use of a frequency between 100 KHz—1 MHz delivered in bursts between 1-10 milliseconds at a time, the second portion being a three-dimensional volume having a width, a height, and a depth, the second portion being located entirely beneath the subcutaneous fat of the patient and entirely encompassing the first portion such that an entire outer periphery of the first portion is contained within the second portion, the second portion having a larger width, height, and depth than the first portion and extending laterally beyond the first portion, the second portion encompassing or contacting the organ, the energy from the nonablative dose passing from the transducer through the subcutaneous fat so as not to treat the subcutaneous fat and the energy from the nonablative dose coalescing at the second portion;
• and
• d) injecting stem cells into the patient (i) after step b) and before step c), or (ii) after both step b) and step c),
• wherein the application of the nonablative dose of energy to the second portion provokes stem cell homing at the second portion, and
• wherein the provocation of stem cell homing encourages tissue regrowth to close one or more tissue defects.