St. David’s Medical Center first to offer new liver cancer treatment in Central Texas
St. David's Medical Center in Austin has become the first hospital in Central Texas to offer histotripsy, a new noninvasive treatment for liver cancer. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023, this innovative therapy uses high-frequency ultrasound waves to destroy liver tumors without the need for incisions or probes, often resulting in lower recovery time and less harm to the patient’s liver.
"We were so excited with what we saw and ... the early data," said Dr. Shaun McKenzie, the medical director of surgical oncology at St. David's Medical Center, in an interview with Community Impact. “We felt that we needed to be part of the cutting-edge component of treatment for liver tumors.” Histotripsy doesn’t replace other cancer treatments but can be used alongside them, such as ablation therapies or radiation, and it is particularly effective for tumors wrapped around blood vessels, which were previously difficult to treat.
Patients undergoing histotripsy at St. David's Medical Center have experienced quick recoveries, often returning to their normal activities within days. “I've had patients that had treatment on Friday and went back to work on Monday,” McKenzie said. “That's unusual for a procedure that actually will destroy tumor tissue.”