Study Shows New Technology Can Remove Cancerous Tumors Without Surgery

Researchers with Tel Aviv University have developed a new technology that can remove cancerous tumors without surgery.

The new method uses a combination of ultrasound and the injection of nanobubbles into the bloodstream to target malignant tumors without the use of surgery. A study was conducted using the new method and teh results are promising.

The study, “Low frequency nanobubble-enhanced ultrasound mechanotherapy for noninvasive cancer surgery,” was published in the journal Nanoscale.

According to a press release from the university, Mike Bismuth conducted the research alongside Dr. Dov Hershkovitz and Prof. Agata Exner. Together, they were able to use animal specimens, like mice, to test their tumor-removing technology with positive results.

In the press release, Dr. Tali Ilovitsh said the new technology “makes it possible, in a relatively simple way, to inject nanobubbles into the bloodstream, which then congregate in the area of the cancerous tumor. After that, using a low-frequency ultrasound, we explode the nanobubbles, and thereby the tumor.”

They explained that the most common method of cancer treatment today is using surgy to remove cancerous tumors. Surgical tumor-removal is generally paired with treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy. But for those who can’t undergo surgery for various reasons, ultrasound paired with nanobubbles may be the key.

Of course, the new method does have its disadvantages. The heat and intensity that the ultrasound waves emit could damage tissues surrounding the tumor, in addition to the tumor itself. However, the benefits seem to outweigh the disadvantages. For example, the new method allows doctors to treat cancer in a localized manner and caters to those who are unfit for surgery.

In the study, researchers were able to use the new method on animal test subjects with minimal off-target effects.

Dr. Ilovitsh explained in the press release that the “combination of nanobubbles and low frequency ultrasound waves provides a more specific targeting of the area of the tumor, and reduces off-target toxicity…Our method has the advantages of ultrasound, in that it is safe, cost-effective, and clinically available, and in addition, the use of nanobubbles facilitates the targeting of tumors because they can be observed with the help of ultrasound imaging.”

They added that the new method was largely tested in a breast cancer tumor mouse model, “but it is likely that the treatment will also be effective with other types of tumors, and in the future, also in humans.”

Having non-surgical methods for tumor removal could be revolutionary in the cancer treatment space. It’s exciting to see what the future holds!

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