Sound waves to kill cancer cells: Addenbrooke’s becomes first hospital in Europe to deliver histotripsy treatment
A remarkable new treatment that uses sound waves to destroy cancer cells in as little as 30 minutes has been performed on a patient at Addenbrooke’s Hospital - which has become the first in Europe to use it outside of a clinical trial.
Marking a milestone in NHS cancer care, the histotripsy treatment was fast-tracked by the government.
Roger Jackson, from Bedford, under the incisionless treatment for liver cancer - and afterwards said he felt “privileged” to be the first NHS patient to benefit.
Histotripsy uses focused sound waves to generate microscopic ‘bubble clouds’ from naturally-occurring gases that are in tumour tissues.
These bubbles form and collapse in microseconds, which creates mechanical forces that destroy cancer cells without the need for surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Patients experience minimal or no pain during the procedure, which is performed as a day case as it can be over in as little as half an hour, enabling them to recover quickly and spend less time in hospital.
Dr Teik Choon See, the consultant interventional radiologist at Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust who led the procedure, said: “Histotripsy represents a major and exciting step forward in cancer treatment. It allows us to target tumours more precisely while sparing surrounding healthy tissue, offering patients a safer and faster alternative to traditional therapies.
“What is even more promising is in some reported cases, after the sound waves break apart the tumour, the patient’s immune response may become activated and clear up some remaining cancerous tissues, showing real hope for patients.”
Roger, 80, said: “I feel privileged to be the first NHS patient and to receive this care was an amazing experience. 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. I’m hugely grateful to the team at Addenbrooke’s for their specialist care and expertise.”
Mr Jackson, who underwent treatment last week, was discharged the following day and is now back at home and looking forward to spending time with his family, including his sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Edison Histotripsy System was installed at Addenbrooke’s with the aid of a generous donation to the University of Cambridge from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which is a long-standing supporter of cancer research in Cambridge.
The technology was developed by US-based HistoSonics and more than 2,000 patients have been treated using it worldwide following approval for its use from the Food and Drug Administration in America for the destruction of liver tumours in 2023.
Roger’s treatment was the first histotripsy procedure to take place after the equipment was granted Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation in Great Britain.
The process enables time-limited, controlled early access to the histotripsy device under the UK’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot programme.
The programme is overseen by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and enables early market access to medical devices under certain conditions prior to full regulatory approval. That means NHS patients can benefit from such technology years earlier than they otherwise would have.
Preliminary funding from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is now enabling the hospital to initially offer the treatment to selected patients with tumours from primary and secondary liver cancers.
The treatment is being made available to patients at Addenbrooke’s and beyond, with consultants able to make external referrals, which will be considered based on the cancer location, size, extent and overall patient’s fitness.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is exploring initiatives to fund research into its clinical and cost-effectiveness and further studies have begun to explore its use in other cancer types.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said: “This marks the beginning of a new generation in cancer treatment. We are lighting the fuse beneath the technological revolution, transforming care for NHS patients.
“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.”
Roland Sinker, chief executive of CUH, said: “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.
“We are delighted to be at the forefront of this new ground-breaking technology and understanding how we can treat cancer more accurately and precisely, a position we aim to strengthen further with our planned Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.”
Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA, added: “This milestone shows how smart, agile regulation can help bring promising new treatments to patients sooner. Through the Innovative Devices Access Pathway, we at the MHRA have worked with partners across the health system to safely make early access to this technology possible.
“My congratulations to the team at Cambridge University Hospitals on this breakthrough – their work demonstrates how collaboration can unlock innovation for patients and deliver faster access to care.”
A clinical trial involving 23 patients was completed in Europe in 2022. As part of it, the world’s first procedure of histotripsy to target and destroy a kidney tumour took place at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which supported the route to it securing FDA approval.
Patients are advised to speak to their consultant if they have any questions about being referred for treatment. If you already have a referral, and have further questions for the Cambridge team, email cuh.histotripsyenquiries@nhs.net.