NHS patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital will become the first in the UK and Europe to undergo incisionless ultrasound surgery using a cutting-edge ‘histotripsy machine’ as part of their cancer care.
Watch how the histotripsy technology works
Link: https://youtu.be/Cs7maVeTmJE
The Edison Histotripsy System was purchased thanks to a generous donation to the University of Cambridge from Hong Kong-based philanthropist Sir Ka-shing Li, a longstanding supporter of cancer research at the University.
Histotripsy uses pulsed sound waves to create ‘bubble clouds’ from gases present in targeted tissue. These bubble clouds form and collapse in microseconds, creating mechanical forces able to destroy tissue at cellular and sub-cellular levels while avoiding ionising energy of radiation, heat damage from thermal treatments, or the need for surgery.
Treatment is delivered via a single short session – potentially taking no longer than 30 minutes – with limited or no pain, a quick recovery, and can be performed as a day case. The speed of delivery has the potential to reduce cancer treatment times, avoid disease progression and improve cancer survival.
The system is being demonstrated today by Dr Teik Choon See, Consultant Interventional Radiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).
The machine, manufactured by HistoSonics, is expected to be fully installed at CUH later this year, where it will be used initially to treat patients with primary and secondary liver tumours before being expanded to treat tumours in other organs.
Previously, 23 patients from Europe were recruited in a histotripsy clinical trial that was completed in 2022. So far, over 1,500 patients worldwide have received treatment using histotripsy, mainly in the United States following approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in late 2023. The machine at Cambridge will be the first in the UK and Europe to treat patients as part of their clinical care pathway, outside the trial setting.
Histotripsy is an exciting new technology that will make a huge difference to patients. By offering this non-invasive, more targeted treatment we can care for more people as outpatients and free up time for surgeons to treat more complex cases.
Roland Sinker, Chief Executive of CUH
Roland Sinker, Chief Executive of CUH, said: "The faster recovery times mean patients will be able to return to their normal lives more quickly, which will also reduce pressure on hospital beds, helping us ensure that patients are able to receive the right treatment at the right time. We are delighted to be receiving this new state of the art machine.”
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “Through his longstanding support of cancer research at Cambridge, Sir Ka-shing Li continues to make a significant impact on outcomes for cancer patients. Cutting-edge technology such as this histotripsy machine allows Cambridge to remain at the forefront of understanding and treating cancer, a position we aim to strengthen further with Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.”
Fiona Carey, who has lived with cancer for over two decades, is Co-Chair of the Patient Advisory Group for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, and has been involved in planning and designing the new hospital, said:
This is seriously good news. A new, non-invasive option to treat these cancers is very welcome indeed. For patients for whom ordinary surgery is no longer an option, this could make all the difference.”
Fiona Carey, Co-Chair of the Patient Advisory Group for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH)
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting granted authorisation for controlled early access to the device via an unmet clinical need authorisation. Available through the UK’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway programme, this bypasses red tape to accelerate lengthy authorisation stages, so NHS patients benefit from it years earlier than planned.
Wes Streeting said: “Bureaucracy has become a handbrake on ambition, stopping innovation in its tracks and holding our health service back. But through our Plan for Change, we are slashing red tape, so game-changing new treatments reach the NHS front line quicker – transforming healthcare.
“Regulation is vital to protect patients. However, as the pace of innovation ramps up, our processes must be more agile to help speed the shift from analogue to digital. Our common-sense approach to regulation will streamline approval processes so countless more patients are liberated from life-limiting conditions.”
Last year, an £11million donation was made in honour of Sir Ka-shing Li to support the now-renamed Li Ka Shing Early Cancer Institute. Sir Ka-shing Li has previously made generous donations to support cancer research at the University, including in 2007 to the Li Ka Shing Centre, which houses the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.
Cutting-edge technology such as the histotripsy machine will enable Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, a partnership with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge, to change the story of cancer. The University and Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT) are fundraising for the new hospital, which will transform how we diagnose and treat cancer. The hospital will treat patients across the East of England, but the research that takes place there promises to change the lives of cancer patients across the UK and beyond. Find out more here (opens in a new tab).
