New cancer treatment offers hope

What the report says

A new cancer treatment called histotripsy may broaden options for some patients, including in Uganda, according to The Observer. The technique uses highly focused ultrasound waves to break down tumour tissue without surgery, radiation or heat, and doctors can watch the procedure with imaging in real time. The report says the method is already authorized in the United States for non-invasive treatment of liver tumours, but it is not yet an established option in Uganda.

The article places the development in the context of Uganda’s cancer burden, citing World Health Organization figures that estimate nearly 30,000 new cancer cases and more than 18,000 cancer deaths in 2024. It notes that interest in new therapies is high because better prevention, earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment are still needed. Histotripsy is being studied as a way to damage targeted tissue while limiting harm to nearby healthy structures such as blood vessels, nerves and bile ducts.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Edison histotripsy system in October 2023 for liver tumours after the HOPE4LIVER trials. The Observer reports that the studies involved 44 patients and that published results showed technical success in 42 cases, though the sample was small and longer follow-up is needed. Researchers are also testing the approach for kidney tumours and exploring possible uses in pancreatic cancer and sarcomas. The report cautions that histotripsy is not a replacement for existing cancer treatments and its long-term impact on survival remains unproven.