Texas Tech, UMC expand cancer care with histotripsy in Lubbock

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and UMC Health System are using a new histotripsy platform in Lubbock to treat certain liver cancers without surgery. The technology is meant to improve local access to care for patients in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, with officials seeking future FDA approval for additional tumor types.

Why it matters: - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Rural Cancer Collaborative funded the Edison System to bring advanced cancer treatment closer to patients west of Interstate 35 and in Eastern New Mexico. - The platform gives Lubbock-area patients access to a non-surgical option for certain tumors, reducing the need to travel to distant centers for care. - The system is one of only two in Texas, making Lubbock a regional access point for histotripsy.

What happened: - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and UMC Health System began using the Edison System in Lubbock in April 2026. - Juan Cruz, 41, became the first patient in Lubbock to undergo the treatment. - Cruz had been diagnosed with liver cancer in January 2026 after a history of cancer that included Stage 4 colon cancer in February 2023. - Tyler Mouw, M.D., chief of surgical oncology for Texas Tech Physicians, helped convince Cruz to proceed with the procedure.

The details: - HistoSonics makes the Edison System, which uses high-frequency ultrasound to create bubbles inside a live tumor and destroy diseased tissue without an incision. - The device is currently approved only for liver cancer. - HistoSonics is seeking FDA approval to expand use of the technology to kidney, prostate and other tumors, possibly as soon as 2027. - The histotripsy procedure takes about two hours from preparation to completion, with the treatment itself lasting about 15 minutes. - Some patients can go home the same day, and side effects are usually limited. - Mouw said the platform allows doctors to be more precise in measuring how much normal liver tissue is affected. - The technology can reduce the need for chemotherapy and lower the risk of affecting nearby blood vessels. - Cruz’s liver tumor location made protection of nearby blood vessels a major concern. - Cruz said he initially resisted the treatment because he believed traditional cancer therapies could still work. - Cruz’s earlier colon cancer treatment included more than a dozen rounds of chemotherapy, seven radiation treatments and removal of about eight inches of colon. - After the histotripsy, Mouw texted Cruz and said a CT scan suggested he was “officially cancer-free,” pending further review. - Cruz said he was helping his brother work on a car by the weekend after the operation.

Between the lines: - The launch signals a broader push to keep complex cancer care in regional hospitals instead of sending patients to larger metro areas. - The early use of histotripsy also reflects how health systems are adopting less invasive tools that may preserve healthy tissue and simplify recovery. - Cruz’s case shows why the technology may appeal to patients who want options beyond surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

What's next: - HistoSonics is pursuing broader FDA clearance for more tumor types. - If approved, the technology could expand beyond liver cancer to kidney, prostate and other cancers. - The Lubbock program may continue serving patients from across West Texas and Eastern New Mexico as one of the few regional sites with the device.

The bottom line: - Texas Tech and UMC are trying to turn Lubbock into a local destination for advanced, non-surgical cancer treatment.