HISTOTRIPSY: CURRENT STATUS, CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.5954Keywords:
Histotripsy, Non-Invasive Ablation, Ultrasound Therapy, Acoustic Cavitation, Liver Tumors, Minimally Invasive TreatmentAbstract
Background: A significant proportion of solid tumors remain inoperable or resistant to systemic treatment, highlighting the need for effective local therapies. Histotripsy is an innovative, non-invasive, non-thermal ultrasound-based technique that uses acoustic cavitation to mechanically fragment tissue with high spatial precision and minimal collateral damage.
Aim: The aim of this review is to present the physical principles underlying histotripsy, describe its biological effects on tissues, summarize current clinical applications, and discuss potential future indications for this innovative, non-invasive therapeutic technology.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted as a narrative review of the literature on histotripsy. In February 2026, a non-systematic search of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was conducted. Particular emphasis was placed on studies published within the last five years, including original articles, clinical trials, and review articles.
Results: In the first prospective clinical trial, Hope4Liver, which used histotripsy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases, a primary efficacy rate of 95.5% and a complication rate of 6.8% were reported.
Conclusions: Histotripsy is a highly promising, non-invasive ablation technique that enables precise, non-thermal tissue destruction while preserving surrounding structures. Current data remain limited, and long-term results are lacking. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to define the role of this technique and compare its efficacy with established treatment methods.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Pawel Zaborek, Aniela Figiel, Justyna Pestka, Robert Marguła, Katarzyna Widomska, Mateusz Bernad
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