Nothing in this blog should be viewed as a recommendation. Many of you will not be suitable for this treatment and I am unable to take questions on your suitability. This is something for you to discuss with your specialist. To read about Histotripsy in general, please click here.
I have heard that The Wellington, a private hospital in London (and the largest private hospital in UK) is deploying Histotripsy. I know it is frequently used by NHS doctors working privately from the Royal Free.
I will update this when I have detail, this anecdotal report may be news of the purchase rather than a commissioning of the equipment ready for treatment.
Clearly treatment at this hospital will need to be funded by the individual or covered by a private health policy.
A Cambridge patient has become the first person in Europe to receive cutting-edge histotripsy treatment outside of a clinical trial, after the technology was fast-tracked by the Government – marking a major milestone in NHS cancer care.
Addenbrooke’s is currently setting up a referral pathway, so the histotripsy technology can be made available to patients at Addenbrooke’s and beyond. External referrals will be considered through a consultant referral, and suitability for the treatment will be decided by medical teams based on the cancer location, size, extent and overall patient’s fitness. No other provider is offering histotripsy in the UK at the moment. Patients should speak to their consultant if they have any questions about being referred for treatment.
Read more here. (for my readers, it does not elaborate the cancer type)
NHS patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, will become the first in the UK and Europe to undergo incisionless ultrasound surgery using a cutting-edge ‘histotripsy machine’ as part of their cancer care.
Through his longstanding support of cancer research at Cambridge, Sir Ka-shing Li continues to make a significant impact on outcomes for cancer patients
Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor
The Edison Histotripsy System was purchased thanks to a generous donation to the University of Cambridge from Hong Kong-based philanthropist Sir Ka-shing Li, a longstanding supporter of cancer research at the University.
HistoSonics’ Edison Histotripsy System Gains Great Britain Early Market Access Under Unmet Clinical Needs Authorisation
HistoSonics, announced today that its Edison Histotripsy System for the non-invasive destruction of liver tumours has been granted controlled early limited market access in Great Britain under a Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation (UCNA). This designation, available through the UK’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) programme, allows controlled early access to histotripsy for certain patients with liver tumours, marking a significant milestone in expanding treatment options for one of the UK’s most urgent unmet medical needs in oncology.
Read more here. I will follows this and keep you updated. I may be attending a demonstration in Southampton in June 2025.
I’ve been writing about it for some time and published a live running blog in 2022 and watched it achieve the first approval for use in USA. Since then, I have been adding to my live running blog awaiting to see what happens in UK and elsewhere. Progress seems slow outside US, although there is still activity in clinical trials outside US.
Histotripsy is a form of therapeutic focused ultrasound, which is used to destroy targeted tumours and cancerous tissue (initially focused on liver tumours) without the need for invasive incisions or needles entering the patient’s body, or thermal intervention. That’s the short answer but please read my live running blog for more detail.
Worth noting that from all the cancer patients treated so far, Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) forms the second largest cohort. Thus why there is a great deal of interest in the NET community in UK and beyond.
Yes! The UK formed a key part of the overall European contribution. Our involvement in the #HOPE4LIVER trials were pooled with the #HOPE4LIVER US data. This was possible because subjects were treated with the same intervention (HistoSonics System) using identical protocols tailored to the regulatory requirements for each geography. The UK’s contribution was centred on Leeds and Newcastle NHS hospitals. This effort was featured on BBC and the Leeds team also carried out the world’s first kidney treatment. All contained in my live running blog.
Yes, it is. The manufacturer of Histotripsy (HistoSonics) was awarded a key position in UK’s “Novel Innovation Program”. What exactly does that mean? This program is designed to accelerate the development of cost-effective medical devices and their integration into the UK market. Applications to compete for one of the 8 available places in the highly sought after UK program began in 2023 and was open to UK and international commercial and non-commercial developers with new health technology solutions.
The IDAP Pilot Program was designed and developed by a partnership of the Department of Health and Social Care, The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), NHS England, Health Technology Wales, and Scottish Health Technology Group to test the IDAP pathway and to expedite the incorporation of novel medical technologies that have demonstrated the potential to meaningful address the UK’s top healthcare concerns of today, as well as in the future. The Edison Histotripsy System was measured against four distinct eligibility criteria that were required of applicants for consideration in the IDAP program. Applicants must have met the following in order to be considered for the IDAP Pilot Program: 1) the technology addresses a life-threatening or seriously debilitating condition and there is a significant patient need, 2) the technology is innovative and transformative, 3) the technology will provide system wide benefit, and 4) the technology clearly helps to address one of the following Life Sciences Vision’s Healthcare Missions.
Getting on this shortlist is a big deal.
Source: Click here
I think UK readers will be aware that the UK NHS can sometimes be behind US in uptake of new cancer therapies, despite often being heavily involved in their development. The NHS is a huge organisation and many players are involved in the purchase, development and commissioning of new services and treatments. As a pubic organisation, money is clearly a factor.
Money means the issues are often driven by politics, so after following this initiative since 2022, I was excited to read this evidence paper submitted to our politicians in April 2023, 6 months before the treatment was approved in US. My readers are mostly NET patients, carers and medical professionals interested in NET but be aware of the context of the paper I reference. Histotripsy is a cancer treatment and it should be read in that context, i.e. this is not a push for just a NET treatment (that would not be cost effective).
The paper entitled “Written evidence submitted Leeds University Medical School and the British Society of Interventional Radiology (FCR0027). Histotripsy – a new capability in the fight against cancer.” The paper is also a useful insight into the treatment and the explanations of why this treatment can save lives (and also save money) presents a strong case for it’s deployment. Click the blue link above to read more.
One of the most important pieces of information is the numbers of doctors submitting and agreeing with the submission, which adds to the strength of the case. The four key submitters are Oncologists/Interventional Radiologists from the University of Leeds School of Medicine, the hospital which regularly appeared in the UK news of the Histotripsy liver trials. They also conducted their own UK Histotripsy kidney trial known as CAIN which also made UK news (see my live running blog)..
Additional to Leeds, the submission to Parliament also included signatures from:
– Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,
– Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
– University College London NHS Foundation Trust,
– Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust,
– Kings College NHS Foundation Trust,
– Belfast Health and Social Care Trust,
– University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust,
– The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
For those in the UK NET community reading, all 11 hospitals supporting this submission have NET multidisciplinary teams (MDT) in UK. All of these teams already treat NET (and many other cancers).
It appears 15 Histotripsy machines are earmarked for UK in the future. However, I do not have further details at this point but I will bring them to you when confirmed. The wheels of NHS approvals sometimes don’t move as fast as we would like.
Watch this space.
(p.s. I leave you with a patient experience video below courtesy of Histosonics, this particular lady was a Hepatocellular carcinoma patient but her experience with Histotripsy is worth watching)
Firstly, you need to remember that this is not a treatment just for Neuroendocrine Cancer, it was developed to treat tumours no matter where they are and what type they are. It is currently (as at 14th March 2025) only approved for liver tumours.
Secondly, you need to remember that because it is new, there’s a lot of hype surrounding the treatment – this will take time to settle as data starts to come out. My advice for people in the NET community is to be cautious of the hype but also be optimistic that doctors will get better with experience of treating using this system and will be able to find the right balance via patient selection and the capabilities of the system.
Thirdly, remember that liver directed treatment is only the start, follow on trials have commenced to pancreas and kidney, with others to follow. It’s too early to say whether this will be suitable to these locations in NET but be optimistic.
Neuroendocrine Cancer is quite ahead of the game when you consider it’s the second most common cancer currently undergoing treatments (January 2025). It’s also clear that the system has limits – it is not a systemic treatment, it is highly focused on individual tumours. It follows that this treatment will not be for everyone.
But be cautiously optimistic at this point.
Check out this page and the questionnaires Histotripsy Tumor Treatment Information | MyHistotripsy
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided in the clinical trials document. It’s very important to check the trial inclusion and exclusion criteria before making any contact. If you need questions, the articles here is very useful Questions to Ask About Clinical Trials | Cancer.Net
The inclusion of any trial within this blog should not be taken as a recommendation by Ronny Allan.
I am not a doctor or any form of medical professional, practitioner or counsellor. None of the information on my website, or linked to my website(s), or conveyed by me on any social media or presentation, should be interpreted as medical advice given or advised by me.
Neither should any post or comment made by a follower or member of my private group be assumed to be medical advice, even if that person is a healthcare professional. Some content may be generated by AI which can sometimes be misinterpreted. Please check any references attached.
Please also note that mention of a clinical service, trial/study or therapy does not constitute an endorsement of that service, trial/study or therapy by Ronny Allan, the information is provided for education and awareness purposes and/or related to Ronny Allan’s own patient experience. This element of the disclaimer includes any complementary medicine, non-prescription over the counter drugs and supplements such as vitamins and minerals.
Whenever I post about a trial or study, some people get excited without understanding that these new treatments and capabilities can very often take years to come to fruition and it’s also possible that clinical trials can be halted, or that national approval agencies will not approve the final product. Plus, not everyone will be eligible, so always check the exclusion and inclusion criteria in the relevant clinical trials document. Please bear that in mind when reading studies/clinical trials posted on RonnyAllan.NET
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