The University of Chicago Medicine was the first health system in Illinois to treat patients with 

, a new noninvasive technology that uses ultrasound energy to precisely destroy liver tumors.

UChicago Medicine has been involved for years in bringing histotripsy to patients, having treated patients in the US arm of the 

. Histotripsy technology received FDA approval in October 2023, and UChicago Medicine physicians expect to begin clinical implementation in early 2024.

Safely Destroying Tumors With Targeted Sound Waves

Histotripsy technology uses high-intensity sound waves to selectively destroy 

. Unlike traditional methods such as surgery, radiation, or ablation, the procedure does not require any incisions, radiation, needles, or invasive procedures.

Before histotripsy treatment, doctors use ultrasound imaging – like what is used to see babies in the womb – to locate the tumor, determine the size of the area that needs to be treated, and target and monitor the treatment area during the procedure. After doctors program the histotripsy robot with the tumor’s coordinates, the machine precisely generates focused sound waves that create a "bubble cloud" inside the targeted area, which disrupts and destroys only the cancerous tissue.

“One of the best things about how this technology works is that it’s protective of things we don’t want to damage,” said 

, associate professor of radiology at UChicago Medicine. “A histotripsy procedure can damage or kill a tumor while leaving important structures like blood vessels and bile ducts intact.”

The treatment is so simple and noninvasive that Ahmed said patients can even wear a t-shirt and jeans rather than a surgical gown.

“The actual procedure can take 5 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the tumor,” he said. “Then we move the robot away, and the patient wakes up. They can even go home the same day unless they have pain.”

Using histotripsy technology to treat liver tumors is exciting, but researchers and healthcare professionals are hopeful that it’s just the beginning. 

 are already underway to determine the safety and efficacy of treating solid kidney tumors with histotripsy, and laboratory researchers are working on pancreatic cancer applications.

“At the moment, histotripsy is only approved for tumors in the liver, but in the long run it’s really a platform technology,” Ahmed said. “If we can see a tumor with ultrasound, we could theoretically someday treat it with histotripsy.”

Ahmed also said early results from ongoing research suggest that histotripsy procedures release tumor antigens that rev up the human immune system to attack any remaining cancer cells in the body. Scientists hypothesize that this effect could create a synergistic effect with immunotherapy or chemotherapy, creating opportunities for highly effective combination treatments – a possibility that future research will investigate.

“At UChicago Medicine, we’re excited to be early adopters of this technology so we can be the ones to help answer those questions,” Ahmed said. “Our experts already have experience with this innovative treatment, and that knowledge gives us a head start on treating patients well and remaining on the leading edge of histotripsy research.”

Articles

The University of Chicago Medicine treats patients with histotripsy, a technology that uses ultrasound energy to destroy liver tumors.

UChicago Medicine Among the First to Offer Histotripsy for Liver Tumors

A new center at the University of Chicago Medicine will tackle health inequities in cancer, which are expected to increase in the next 25 years as cancer rates climb.

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center’s new effort — 

the Center to Eliminate Cancer Inequity (CinEQUITY)

 — will work to pioneer transformative research that addresses biological, social and structural factors that adversely affect excluded or marginalized people in the Chicagoland area. The goal is to ultimately create solutions for eliminating disparities that can be implemented by communities, healthcare systems and policymakers.

The launch, announced Friday, Feb. 16, comes five months after the academic health system 

 to build Chicago’s first freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research. The new pavilion, slated to open in 2027, is designed to dramatically improve cancer patients’ experience, reduce health disparities in underserved communities and accelerate scientific discoveries.

“Unacceptable disparities in cancer prevention and care delivery impede even current best practices from reaching the underserved,” said 

, Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center; Dean for Oncology, Biological Sciences Division; and The AbbVie Foundation Distinguished Service Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“CinEQUITY will unite researchers, community leaders, advocates, survivors, policy makers and partners from various sectors to forge innovative pathways toward eliminating barriers to health equity,” Odunsi said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 predict cancer rates will increase by 49% from 2015 to 2050. On Chicago’s South Side, where UChicago Medicine’s flagship medical campus operates, cancer incidence is expected to climb 12% in the next decade alone. South Side residents are twice as likely to die from cancer as people living in the rest of the country.

By serving as a hub to catalyze research aimed at eliminating cancer inequities, CinEQUITY will provide core resources to partner with community leaders in planning the Center’s research priorities and evaluating progress; support collaboration with community-based organizations to execute projects; train in best practices for conducting community-engaged research; build inclusive research teams; and disseminate research findings to influence policy and practice.

CinEQUITY is pronounced like “see inequity.”

“The mission of CinEQUITY is to codesign solutions with our community that shatter disparities in cancer prevention and care,” said 

, Professor of Public Health Sciences, and the Director of the new Center. “Our guiding vision is of a future where every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, has equitable outcomes when preventing, treating and surviving cancer.”

Collaboration and contribution from the community will be instrumental in shaping CinEQUITY’s initiatives and driving meaningful change in the fight against cancer disparities.

“CinEQUITY allows us to deepen and expand our ongoing work in the Cancer Center in addressing cancer disparities at multiple levels — the delivery of care, research and how we communicate with the public,” said CinEQUITY Co-Director 

, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. “By adding more resources and building on the momentum of existing academic-community partnerships, CinEQUITY will accelerate our progress toward cancer equity.”

The Center recognizes the power differentials between researchers and community leaders, advocates and members. Thus, Center leadership is putting programs in place to support self-reflection, engage multiple voices and embrace life experiences of different groups to ensure a diversity of perspectives.

We recognize the urgency to address systemic inequities faced by marginalized groups in the Chicagoland area,” Tiro said. “We are resolute in our dedication to foster an environment where every voice is valued, where diversity is not just celebrated but embraced, and where inclusive action is the cornerstone of our work.”

CinEQUITY’s external advisory board includes national leaders in cancer disparities, including Otis W. Brawley, SB’81, MD’85, a renowned cancer disparities researcher and the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Oncology and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. He delivered a keynote speech at the Center’s launch event.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center is celebrating 50 years as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center. NCI-designated Cancer Centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate a diversity of research approaches to focus on cancer prevention and treatment. In addition to the depth and breadth of cancer research, they also are recognized for outstanding care, education and community outreach programs.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center serves residents in a five-county metropolitan area that’s home to 8.1 million people.

UChicago Medicine is one of just two centers in the state and one of 56 in the United States to have earned the NCI’s highest honor as a comprehensive cancer center. The NCI team gave an “outstanding to exceptional” rating to UChicago Medicine during its last site review in August 2023, acknowledging its strengths in basic research, strong translational and clinical research, and impact on community, policy and global health.

A new center at the University of Chicago Medicine will tackle health inequities in cancer.

The Center to Eliminate Cancer Inequity to address unequal burden of cancer driven by health disparities

The University of Chicago Medical Center ranks among the nation’s best hospitals in 10 specialties, according to results of the 

The Medical Center, which serves as a focal point of the University of Chicago Medicine health system, is one of just 24 hospitals in the country to have 10 or more specialties ranked in the top 50. 

 evaluated more than 4,750 hospitals nationwide for its 2023-24 Best Hospitals list.

The Medical Center’s cancer program is now ranked the best in Illinois on 

 list — which further highlights the health system’s $815 million initiative to build the city’s first freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research. In addition, four specialties improved their standings, including ear, nose and throat, which moved up 17 spots this year. The University of Chicago Medical Center ranked among the top 50 in the following areas:

Cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, 38

“Our priority is to concentrate on continuously improving upon the care we provide to our patients and the community and increasing their access to our world-class care,” said Health System President Tom Jackiewicz. “We are pleased that this relentless focus has led to gains in our specialty rankings and that we are making progress to achieving Honor Roll status.”

 also evaluates hospital performance for common adult procedures and conditions. The University of Chicago Medical Center received high-performing ratings in 18 areas, an improvement from 14 last year:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial also saw progress in the procedures-and-conditions category. The Harvey-based community health system received high-performing marks in the following four areas, compared to three last year:

“The commitment by our physicians, nurses and staff to delivering high-quality care throughout our enterprise is reflected in these results,” said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “Our outstanding healthcare also reflects the crucial role of research, which informs the decisions made by our clinicians to provide the safest and most effective care.”

 rankings are designed to help patients and doctors make informed decisions about where to receive quality care for challenging health conditions or elective procedures. To see the full rankings and methodology, visit the 

 results come a few months after the University of Chicago Medical Center was recognized for its long track record for hospital safety, receiving its 23 consecutive “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group. The Medical Center is one of only 20 hospitals nationwide to have earned the top grade in every cycle since June 2012, when the national industry watchdog announced its first biannual results.

The University of Chicago Medical Center ranks among the nation’s best hospitals in 10 specialties, according to results of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey.

University of Chicago Medicine

Articles

UChicago Medicine Among the First to Offer Histotripsy for Liver Tumors

The Center to Eliminate Cancer Inequity to address unequal burden of cancer driven by health disparities

University of Chicago Medical Center Ranks Among Nation’s Best in 10 Specialties, According to U.S. News Survey