TLDR · SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

HOW ULTRASOUND IS USHERING A NEW ERA OF SURGERY-FREE CANCER TREATMENT

bbc.com14 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Histotripsy is a cancer treatment in which ultrasound waves are concentrated onto a small area of a tumor to destroy it. The ultrasound is delivered in quick bursts, creating tiny microbubbles that expand and then collapse in milliseconds, breaking apart the tumor tissue as they do. The patient's immune system then cleans up the remains. The treatment is fast, non-toxic, and non-invasive. Patients receiving it can usually go home on the same day, with most procedures over in one to three hours. Histotripsy has been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of liver tumors.