Patients across several states in the southeast now have an innovative, non-invasive treatment option for liver cancer tumors. In a groundbreaking leap forward, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has become the only hospital in Georgia and one of the few in the United States to offer a new, progressive form of cancer treatment known as histotripsy.
“Histotripsy represents the latest advancement in cancer care, using soundwaves – not surgery – to eliminate cancerous tissue,” said Nelson Royall, MD, a surgeon with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG), “The focused ultrasound waves precisely break down targeted tissues, and eliminate tumors, through sonic beam therapy.”
NGMC’s physicians perform histotripsy by using The Edison System, a sophisticated platform that delivers pulsed sound energy into the body, without any incisions or needles, and can destroy tumors at the sub-cellular level. Histotripsy has been FDA-approved for the treatment of liver cancerous tissue since October 2023.
“One of the key advantages of histotripsy is its ability to achieve precise tissue destruction without the need for incisions or invasive procedures,” said Terence Jackson, MD, a surgeon with NGPG. “Histotripsy allows patients to have a quicker and easier recovery. I look forward to performing histotripsy on patients, along with Dr. Royall, later this year.”
Any patient with liver tumors is a potential candidate for histotripsy. This includes tumors that have formed within the liver or those that have spread to the liver from other organs. NGMC is the first and only health system in Georgia, and most of the southeast, to offer histotripsy. Before now, the next nearest treatment locations for patients with liver cancer were Cleveland Clinic, University of Michigan, and AdventHealth in Orlando.
For more information about histotripsy at NGMC, visit nghs.com/histotripsy.
About Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder, Dahlonega and Demorest, the five NGMC campuses have a total of more than 850 beds and more than 1,300 medical staff members representing more than 60 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than one million people across more than 19 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.