If you, or someone you know, was recently diagnosed with a liver tumor, you may have heard talk about a new type of cancer treatment called histotripsy.

But what is histotripsy? How does it work? Is it only for patients with liver cancer? And, how do you know if you’re a good candidate for it?

Read on to get answers to these questions and more.

What is histotripsy?

Histotripsy is a new technology that was approved in 2023 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of liver tumors. It uses focused ultrasound energy to destroy tumors non-invasively — that is, without making any surgical cuts.

How does histotripsy work?

Histotripsy works through a process called cavitation, or the creation of air pockets in a particular substance. The focused energy created by the ultrasound machine generates enough force to pulverize matter — in this case, liver tumor tissue. It also creates a “bubble cloud” in the process, which shows us that the energy has reached the level necessary to destroy tumor cells.

Patients receiving histotripsy are given general anesthesia so we can control their breathing and minimize movement of the targeted tumor(s). Then, they’re securely positioned on the operating room table and the equipment is situated over them. Doctors then program the robot to deliver the planned treatment. Once the machine is activated, the procedure itself may take anywhere from 10 to 50 minutes per tumor. The focused energy travels through the body to its targeted location and is automatically delivered.

Is histotripsy used exclusively to treat liver cancer?

Yes. At this time, histotripsy is only approved to treat liver cancers. However, it can be any type of liver tumor, whether it is a primary tumor (i.e. a tumor that started in the liver, such as hepatocellular carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma) or another type of cancer that metastasized, or spread, to the liver.

Histotripsy is being tested for tumors in other organs in clinical trials but is not currently approved for the treatment of tumors outside the liver.