A new treatment method for liver cancer based on ultrasound waves is offering hope for patients. According to the German Cancer Society, the number of liver cancer cases has more than doubled in the last 35 years, with 70% of cases being diagnosed in advanced stages. This makes the chances of successful treatment very low. However, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new treatment method that uses non-invasive ultrasound waves to destroy liver tumors in rats. The researchers were able to make 75% of the tumors harmless, and the rats’ immune systems were able to eliminate the remaining tumor without medication. The treatment is currently being tested in a liver cancer study in the US and Europe.
The treatment, called Histotripsy, uses a targeted ultrasound wave to create microbubbles in the tumor tissue, which then expand and collapse, destroying the tumor. The researchers say that this method is much gentler than traditional cancer treatments like radiation or chemotherapy, and has fewer side effects. The treatment is currently being tested in clinical trials, and the researchers hope that it will eventually be available to liver cancer patients.
Zhen Xu, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, says that even if the entire tumor cannot be targeted, the treatment can still cause the tumor to shrink and reduce the risk of future metastases. The researchers are optimistic about the potential of this new treatment method, and hope that it will lead to more effective treatments for liver cancer patients in the future.
