Addenbrooke”s Hospital in Cambridge has become the first hospital in Europe to offer a novel treatment for liver cancer known as histotripsy, outside of clinical trials. This innovative procedure employs ultrasound technology to target and destroy cancer cells without the need for surgical intervention.
The histotripsy process utilizes ultrasound waves to create and collapse microscopic bubbles within tumor tissue, effectively obliterating cancer cells in a matter of minutes. The entire procedure can be completed in as little as 30 minutes, significantly reducing the length of hospital stays and avoiding the complications associated with traditional treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
The first patient to undergo this treatment was 80-year-old Roger Jackson, a retired sales manager from Bedford. His procedure, led by Dr Teik Choon See, a consultant interventional radiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was performed earlier this month. Following the treatment, Jackson was discharged from the hospital the next day, expressing his gratitude for being the first patient to receive this advanced care. He remarked, “It is impressive to think that sound waves can treat cancer, without the need for patients like me to go through intensive surgery, at what already is a stressful time.”
The histotripsy technology was recently fast-tracked and granted unmet clinical need authorization (Ucna) in Great Britain under the Innovative Devices Access Pathway. This pathway, overseen by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), allows access to new medical devices under specific conditions before they receive full regulatory approval.
Initially, Addenbrooke”s Hospital will provide histotripsy treatment to carefully selected patients suffering from primary and secondary liver cancers. Roland Sinker, the chief executive of CUH, commented on the significance of this advancement, stating, “Histotripsy represents a hugely exciting and new era of cancer innovation and care. With faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays, this not only reduces the strain on our hospital beds, but it also frees up surgeons to focus on the more complex cancer cases, helping to cut waiting times.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting also highlighted the importance of this treatment, indicating that it marks the dawn of a new generation in cancer care. “We are lighting the fuse beneath the technological revolution, transforming care for NHS patients,” he said. “By slashing red tape, we”ve made sure this game-changing new cancer treatment has reached the NHS front line quicker, and I”m proud to say British patients are now the first in Europe to benefit.”
Developed in the United States, histotripsy has already treated over 2,000 patients worldwide since receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the destruction of liver tumors in 2023. Research is currently underway to assess its effectiveness in treating other types of cancer.
