Latest news with #liverCancer
Medscape
16-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Ultrasound Liver Cancer Therapy Set for NHS Launch
A new ultrasound-based treatment that destroys liver cancer tumours without surgery or radiation will be offered to NHS patients this summer in a European first. The therapy, called histotripsy, is a non-invasive and non-thermal technique that uses focused sound waves to break down cancerous tissue. It causes minimal damage to surrounding organs and may be delivered in a single 30-minute session. It is being hailed as a breakthrough by clinicians, patients, and academics. Bubble Cloud Destroys Tumours Without Heat or Blades Histotripsy works by generating high-amplitude, short ultrasound pulses via a platform known as the Edison System. These pulses create a "bubble cloud" from gases naturally present in targeted tissue. These bubbles form and collapse in microseconds, generating mechanical forces strong enough to destroy and liquefy targeted tumour tissue at cellular and sub-cellular levels. The remnants are absorbed by the body within one to two months, leaving minimal scarring. Treatment can be used both for primary liver cancer and metastatic disease in the liver. The treating physician can monitor the bubble cloud continuously and observe the treatment effect in real time. Animal research also suggests that the treatment may stimulate an immune response and induce abscopal effects – shrinkage of untreated tumours elsewhere in the body. NHS Access Through Fast-Track Innovation Scheme The technology was developed by ultrasound researchers at the University of Michigan and commercialised by US-based company HistoSonics. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting approved early access to the treatment under an unmet clinical need authorisation. A joint announcement on 10 June from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency confirmed its authorisation for controlled early access use through the Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP). The government described the move as part of its 'blitz on red tape' to support innovation in the NHS. First Patients to Be Treated in Cambridge The first patients will receive histotripsy at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge this summer. The treatment is expected to reduce complications, shorten recovery time, and free up beds and surgical capacity. It will be available for both NHS and private patients. The technology was procured and installed using a donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which has a longstanding history of funding projects at the University of Cambridge. Roland Sinker, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals, described histotripsy as 'an exciting new technology that will make a huge difference to patients'. Liver Cancer Survival Remains Low According to Cancer Research UK, liver cancer is the 17th most common cancer in the UK. On average, over 6500 cases are diagnosed annually, and more than 5800 people die from the disease each year. Current treatment modes include surgery, chemotherapy, thermal ablation, targeted drugs, and radiotherapy. Fiona Carey, co-chair of the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital patient advisory group, who has advanced kidney cancer, said the announcement was "seriously good news." She added, 'for patients for whom ordinary surgery is no longer an option, this could make all the difference.' Histotripsy is also being explored as a potential treatment for other hard-to-reach cancers, including kidney and pancreatic tumours.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Groundbreaking cancer treatment which ‘destroys tumours with sound' to be rolled out on NHS
NHS patients will be the first in Europe to benefit from a pioneering new cancer treatment which uses ultrasound to destroy tumours. The technology, known as histotripsy, offers a non-invasive treatment capable of breaking down liver cancer tissue without surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, with minimal damage to the surrounding organs, according to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). First approved by US regulators in October 2023, histotripsy uses pulsed sound waves to create 'bubble clouds' from gases present in the targeted tissue and tumour. When these bubbles pop, within microseconds, a shockwave is released which is capable of breaking up a mass and killing cancerous cells, while avoiding the harms of radiation and reducing the risks of bleeding, infection, and damage to surrounding non-targeted tissue. Treatment is delivered via a single session – potentially taking just 30 minutes – with limited or no pain, a quick recovery, and can be performed as a day case, according to the DHSC. The first NHS patients are set to be treated this summer at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where the technology – which uses a device called an Edison System, created by US firm HistoSonics – is being debuted after a donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Cancer Research UK describes liver cancer as the 17th most common cancer in the UK and the 8th most frequent cause of cancer death. More than 8,000 people received a new diagnoses in 2022, with liver cancer incidence across the UK having surged by 42 per cent over the past decade, according to the British Liver Trust. So far, more than 1,500 patients worldwide have received treatment using histotripsy, mainly in the United States – following approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in late 2023. According to 12-month follow-up data from HistoSonics' previous clinical trials, which involved patients for whom other treatments had been either unsuccessful or unavailable, overall survival rates after one year were 73.3 per cent for primary liver cancer, and 48.6 per cent for those with secondary tumours. The paper, published in the Annals of Surgery journal in April, noted that both tumour control and survival rates were similar to those among other current treatments. The UK's new device is expected to be fully installed in Cambridge later this year, where it will be used initially to treat patients with primary and secondary liver tumours. Wider research on how this could potentially treat tumours in other organs – such as the pancreas and kidneys – is underway. The technology has been approved in the UK via the innovative devices access pathway, which aims to enable faster approvals of medical devices and treatments which evidence shows are safe, efficient and can fill unmet need. 'This is a strong example of smart, agile regulation in action,' said James Pound, of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). 'It's a major step forward for patients with liver cancer and shows how the UK can be a frontrunner in supporting responsible innovation that meets real clinical need.' While 'regulation is vital to protect patients', the government is 'slashing red tape, so game-changing new treatments reach the NHS front line quicker – transforming healthcare', said health secretary Wes Streeting. Hailing histotripsy as 'an exciting new technology that will make a huge difference to patients', Roland Sinker, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals, said: 'By offering this non-invasive, more targeted treatment we can care for more people as outpatients and free up time for surgeons to treat more complex cases. 'The faster recovery times mean patients will be able to return to their normal lives more quickly, which will also reduce pressure on hospital beds, helping us ensure that patients are able to receive the right treatment at the right time.' Fiona Carey, a kidney cancer patient who co-chairs Cambridge's patient advisory group, added: 'This is seriously good news. A new, non-invasive option to treat these cancers is very welcome indeed. 'For patients for whom ordinary surgery is no longer an option, this could make all the difference.'
