Next-gen ultrasound cancer treatment advances: does the evidence match commercial hype?

Hong Kong is advancing its involvement in the development of histotripsy, a non-invasive cancer treatment that employs focused ultrasound waves to destroy tumours. The CUHK Medical Centre, Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital are set to begin clinical trials involving 30 patients with kidney cancer, marking the first city in Asia to validate the safety and efficacy of histotripsy for renal diseases.

The Li Ka Shing Foundation, a prominent biotech investor, has increased its support for the technology, donating three systems valued at US$3 million each to universities in Hong Kong. However, while histotripsy has shown promise, researchers caution that clinical evidence supporting its broader use is still in its early stages, with some expressing concern that public enthusiasm and commercial promotion have moved ahead of the available scientific data.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.