Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41818689›Full record

ReviewThe British journal of radiology2026

Early adoption of image-guided histotripsy therapy in interventional oncology: challenges and opportunities in the United Kingdom.

Helen Hoi Lam Ng, Vinson Wai-Shun Chan, Lewis Howell, Taha Shiwani, Jim Zhong, Jacqueline Brandon, Adel Samson, James Chandler, James McLaughlan, Tze Min Wah

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in The British journal of radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Helen Hoi Lam NgDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-7465-2090
Vinson Wai-Shun ChanDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-6108-9315
Lewis HowellSchool of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-4807-4087
Taha ShiwaniDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1809-7077
Jim ZhongDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5325-3739
Jacqueline BrandonDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.
Adel SamsonLeeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
James ChandlerSchool of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9232-4966
James McLaughlanLeeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5795-4372
Tze Min WahDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5670-5454

Funding

BVM Medical LtdCancer Research UK and Leeds Hospital CharityCancer Research UK Clinical Trial FellowshipEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/S024336/1Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/V04799X/1Leeds Hospital Charity and Cancer Research UK
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Histotripsy represents a paradigm shift in interventional oncology (IO) as the first non-invasive, non-ionizing and non-thermal ultrasound-based ablation technology available for cancer therapy. Compared with thermal ablation techniques, the advantages of histotripsy include tissue-selective ablation near critical structures, reduced collateral injury risk, and treatment which is unaffected by the heat sink phenomenon, ensuring predictable treatment margins. Ultrasound technology can be constrained by tissue attenuation depending on the depth of the target; however, the early phase feasibility and pivotal trial results have been promising for its application in liver cancers, with emerging translational trials in renal and pancreatic cancer. In the United Kingdom, 2 well-established IO sites have participated in the pivotal #HOPE4LIVER Trial that led to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in liver tumours therapy in 2023 and obtained Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation for treatment of liver tumours in United Kingdom (April 2025) via the Innovative Devises Access Pathway. The global-first feasibility in renal cancer (CAIN trial) was also led by the United Kingdom and completed in April 2024. This review provides an overview of histotripsy and highlights the clinical challenges in early National Health Service (NHS) adoption such as the learning curve for operators and teams, regulatory processes, and synthesis of health economic evidence required for wider NHS commissioning. The review will also discuss the future directions of histotripsy, including combination immunomodulatory therapies, highlighting the need for continual national collaboration for successful integration in the NHS. Successfully integrating this technology into the NHS hinges on a unified national effort to navigate the clinical, regulatory and economic hurdles, ensuring its benefits reach patients nationwide.

Indexed as

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound AblationLiver NeoplasmsNeoplasmsSurgery, Computer-AssistedHumansKidney NeoplasmsUnited KingdomHistotripsyInterventional OncologyInterventional RadiologyMedical TechnologyUltrasonic TherapyUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID41818689
PMCPMC13134855

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.