What to know about the new breakthrough ultrasound treatment for liver cancer

Histotripsy is a cutting-edge treatment that uses focused ultrasound waves to target and destroy cancer tissue in the liver.

St. David’s Medical Center is the first facility in Central Texas to use this new technology since it was approved in 2023 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“This new technology provides a noninvasive, safer option for patients with liver tumors, enabling physicians to restore their quality of life more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment,” said Shaun McKenzie, M.D., FACS, medical director of surgical oncology at St. David’s Medical Center. “At St. David’s Medical Center, we are committed to offering cutting-edge treatment options for our patients, and we are honored to play a leading role in this new era for the countless patients in Central Texas living with liver tumors.” 

More than 42,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with liver cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Liver cancer incidence rates have more than tripled since 1980, while the death rates have more than doubled during that time.

What are the benefits of histotripsy treatment?

If you are eligible to be treated with histotripsy, there are several advantages over traditional cancer treatments.

This breakthrough treatment allows patients to recover more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation or more invasive surgery. The technology also provides physicians the ability to monitor the destruction of tumor tissues under continuous, real-time visualization and control. 

One of the best things about this technology is how precisely it targets the tumor, preserving surrounding healthy liver tissue and critical structures like blood vessels. Histotripsy is typically performed under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, and most patients are discharged the same day to recover comfortably at home.

How does histotripsy work?

Histotripsy works by using high-intensity soundwaves to target and destroy cancer tissue in the liver. Unlike traditional methods of treatment such as surgery or radiation, this noninvasive procedure does not require incisions or needles.

It is an image-guided sonic beam therapy that uses advanced imaging to deliver noninvasive, concentrated ultrasound waves to the targeted tumor tissue needing treatment, keeping surrounding tissue and blood vessels healthy. The sound waves create microbubbles within the cells of the tumor. The bubbles then expand and collapse quickly, releasing mechanical forces that break down the cells of the tumor tissue. The body’s immune system, over time, removes the debris from the broken-down tumor tissue, replacing it with healthy tissue.

Promising future for our liver cancer patients

At St. David’s Medical Center, we are committed to offering the most advanced treatment options for patients with liver cancer, and we continue to progress in the fight against cancer.

“The fact that we have histotripsy here at St. David’s Medical Center is another example of how when it comes to treating patients with cancer, the best is here,” said Dr. McKenzie.

At the moment, histotripsy is only approved to treat liver tumors, but this promising technology may have other applications in the future.

Learn more about the oncology services offered at St. David’s HealthCare.