Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell will soon become the sole provider in the Mercer and Bucks County region to offer histotripsy, a non-invasive treatment for liver tumors. The procedure, set to be available this summer, will be implemented using the Edison System. Leading the initiative at Capital Health Cancer Center’s Liver Center of Excellence are Dr. Cataldo Doria, hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon and medical director, Dr. Ajay Choudhri, chairman of the Radiology Department and interventional radiologist, and Dr. Nikhil Thaker, medical director of Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Doria remarked, “Capital Health Cancer Center consistently commits to bringing new and promising technologies like this to patients in our area.” He described histotripsy as a procedure capable of destroying targeted tissues without the side effects of radiation, heat damage, or physical incisions.
The non-invasive nature of histotripsy provides a new option for liver cancer patients, including those unsuitable for surgery or with previously deemed inoperable tumors. It utilizes ultrasound technology, combined with a mobile robotic arm, to deliver targeted treatment. The method involves creating microbubbles at a focal point that break down the liver tumor without skin penetration.
Histotripsy has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for liver tumor treatment and has been the subject of over two decades of research and clinical trials. The ongoing studies include potential applications to other areas such as the pancreas, brain, prostate, and kidney. As new FDA approvals are obtained, Capital Health Cancer Center plans to extend histotripsy treatments to these additional sites.
