Innovative ultrasound treatment for liver cancer

Tens of thousands of Americans die from liver cancer each year.

Traditional treatment to fight tumors and sustain their life involves surgery, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy.

Now, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are using a new approach that may one day be a standard of care.

Liver cancer is a rising epidemic, with over 41,000 expected new cases this year, as well as almost 30,000 liver cancer deaths.

The traditional treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, often come with significant side effects and lengthy recovery times. That’s why minimally invasive liver surgeon doctor David Kwon at Cleveland Clinic is using a new FDA-approved, non-invasive technology called histotripsy to eliminate the tumors.

“Histotripsy is an ultrasonic-based energy device. It causes cavitation with the ultrasonic pulse waves, and that cavitation causes microbubbles, and it is those microbubbles that cause frictional force through the cells, and the cells die because of the production and disappearance of these microbubbles,” Kwon said.

The procedure is quick, taking only an hour to perform, compared to traditional surgery, which can take up to seven hours.

“Because of this non-invasive nature, the patients are able to get discharged very quickly. None of my patients that I’ve treated so far require any opioids,” Kwon said.

While more research is needed to fully understand the long-term benefits, this breakthrough offers a new, less invasive option for liver cancer patients. Experts are optimistic that non-invasive ultrasound therapy could soon become a standard treatment for some liver tumors.