NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center is using histotripsy for some liver cancer cases, it said in a March 28 blog post.
Histotripsy uses focused ultrasound to deliver external beams intended to destroy cancerous tissue while leaving surrounding tissue intact. Histotripsy could become an option for patients who might otherwise be unlikely candidates for radiation or other ablation techniques, according to NYU Langone Health.
"This device allows us to offer ablation to patients who would normally not be good candidates," said Mikhail Silk, MD, an interventional radiologist at NYU Langone who performed the procedure. “Even more exciting is the potential abscopal effect in patients with additional disease or microscopic tumors not caught by scans, shrinking them alongside the targeted tumors. The data on these additional benefits are preliminary, but it is a promising avenue for further research.”
Mikhail Silk, MD, an interventional radiologist at NYU Langone Health, leads a mock session in the setup of focused ultrasound histotripsy procedures now available through Perlmutter Cancer Center in New York City. Photo courtesy of NYU Langone Health.
NYU Langone is also testing the HistoSonics Edison System as part of the HOPE4KIDNEY US clinical trial for the treatment of kidney tumors. Led by William Huang, MD, the trial is expected to last about seven years, including an enrollment phase of around 18 months and follow-up for up to five years after the procedure.
