NHS (UK) patients will be the first in Europe to benefit from a pioneering new cancer treatment which uses ultrasound to destroy tumours. The technology is called histotripsy, and it is capable of breaking down liver cancer tissue without surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, and with minimal damage to the surrounding organs. The system uses pulsed sound waves to create “bubble clouds” from gases present in the targeted tumour. Within microseconds these bubbles “pop”, and they cause a shock wave that breaks up the mass of the tumour and kills the cancerous cells. It does all of this while avoiding the negative side effects that come with radiation or chemotherapy. This treatment needs only a single session that takes about 30 minutes. There is virtually no pain, a quick recovery, and no need to stay in the hospital. So far this has been used mainly in the United States where it was first approved at the end of 2023. The survival rates in over 1,500 cases have been far greater than with any previous therapies. This has spurred new research to see if histotripsy could potentially treat tumours in other organs such as the pancreas and kidneys. Fiona Carey, who co-chairs Cambridge’s patient advisory group, says: “This is seriously good news. A new, non-invasive option to treat these cancers is very welcome indeed.”