Crushin' cancer cell tissue since 2023.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
-- Three Witches
It's more like it makes a frothy mess of them, actually. Currently, histotripsy, as approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is used to treat liver tumors, both cancerous and benign, primary and metastasized. The non-invasive nature of the procedure reduces the risk of infection and other complications associated with more invasive procedures, such as surgery. Moreover, it offers a targeted approach to cancer treatment, with the intent that only the tumor cells are destroyed while preserving healthy tissue, reducing both the number of side effects as well as recovery time.
Histotripsy utilizes focused ultrasound waves to precisely target and destroy tumors, particularly in the liver, although clinical trials are (were?) underway in re other organs. The treatment works through cavitation: creating tiny bubbles within the tumor tissue using high-intensity sound waves. These bubbles, or bubble cloud, rapidly expand and collapse, causing the tumor cells to break apart without harming the surrounding healthy tissue, and are then disposed of by the normal operations of the immune system. Being 2025, long-term data doesn't exist yet, but what data there is indicates an over seventy percent success rate although recurrence is "always" possible. Side effects are usually only localized pain or discomfort at the treatment site, although there is a minimal risk of damaging healthy cells especially if the tumor is located on the surface of the liver. However, it offers an option for those patients not good candidates for more invasive procedures, such as myself (anemic and on anticoagulants & FOLFOX: imagine cutting into a working liver that won't stop bleeding). Mine is scheduled for March 7, 2025. Feeling blessed the procedure is already operational, being that it's 2025 and all.
300 for Brevity Quest 2025