Cleveland Clinic Innovates with Ultrasound for Liver Tumors

The Cleveland Clinic has adopted a cutting-edge, non-invasive ultrasound technology to treat liver tumors, marking a significant advancement in cancer treatment. The FDA-approved technology, known as histotripsy, utilizes brief, high-intensity ultrasound pulses to precisely target and destroy liver tumor cells.

Dr. Choon Hyuck David Kwon, director of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery at Cleveland Clinic’s Digestive Disease Institute, spearheaded the use of this technology. In December 2023, Dr. Kwon and his team successfully treated a patient with liver metastases from colorectal cancer. The procedure involved liquifying a small tumor on the left side of the patient’s liver using a mobile robotic arm that controlled the ultrasound machine.

“This treatment is noninvasive, which provides the patient with an easy recovery following the procedure,” explained Dr. Kwon. “In addition, studies have shown that, in some cases, a histotripsy treatment may stimulate the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.”

The technology works by generating microsecond ultrasound pulses that create microbubbles within the tumor. These bubbles disrupt and ultimately kill the cancerous cells without the need for surgical intervention. The first patient treated with histotripsy at Cleveland Clinic experienced a positive recovery, heralding potential for broader application.

The team, including Dr. Federico Aucejo and Dr. Jaekeun Kim, has since expanded the use of this technology to treat more patients, with procedures typically lasting up to an hour. Researchers are also exploring the possibility of histotripsy inducing the abscopal effect, a phenomenon where treatment of one tumor may lead to the reduction of untreated tumors elsewhere in the body.

Dr. Kwon emphasized the need for further research: “More research is needed to continue to study the benefits of histotripsy, including the occurrence and frequency of the abscopal effect. I see this noninvasive treatment as a complement to our current therapies for liver tumors, including surgery and chemotherapy.”

Histotripsy currently holds FDA approval exclusively for the treatment of liver tumors, positioning Cleveland Clinic at the forefront of innovative cancer therapy development.