St. David's Medical Center uses new technology to treat liver tumors
Austin, TX — St. David’s Medical Center became the first facility in Central Texas to use a new technology that produces ultrasound energy to destroy liver tumors in a single outpatient procedure. The first procedure was performed by Shaun McKenzie, M.D., FACS, medical director of surgical oncology at St. David’s Medical Center.
“This new technology provides a noninvasive, safer option for patients with liver tumors, enabling physicians to restore their quality of life more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment,” Dr. McKenzie said. “At St. David’s Medical Center, we are committed to offering cutting-edge treatment options for our patients, and we are honored to play a leading role in this new era for the countless patients in Central Texas living with liver tumors.”
The novel technology, which received approval by the Food and Drug Administration, is an image-guided sonic beam therapy that uses advanced imaging to deliver noninvasive, concentrated ultrasound waves to the targeted tumor tissue needing treatment, keeping surrounding tissue and blood vessels healthy. The sound waves create microbubbles within the cells of the tumor. The bubbles then expand and collapse quickly, releasing mechanical forces that breaks down the cells of the tumor tissue. The body’s immune system, over time, removes the debris from the broken-down tumor tissue, replacing it with healthy tissue.
This breakthrough treatment allows patients to recover more quickly than traditional liver cancer treatment options, such as chemotherapy, radiation or more invasive surgery. The technology also provides physicians the ability to monitor the destruction of tumor tissues under continuous, real-time visualization and control.
More than 42,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with liver cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Liver cancer incidence rates have more than tripled since 1980, while the death rates have more than doubled during that time.