A neat and possibly critical step forward in modern oncology:

A promising cancer treatment that blasts tumors using soundwaves has been approved in the US.

A machine that uses histotripsy, a technique that uses sound waves to break down tumors, has been approved to treat liver tumors by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It uses targeted sound waves - like an ultrasound machine - to form microbubbles within the tumor.

The treatment was pioneered by HistoSonics, "a University of Michigan spin-off company founded in 2009." Here's a brief rundown of how it works:

Essentially, the machine "uses targeted sound waves - like an ultrasound machine - to form microbubbles within the tumor." The "forces generated as the bubbles expand and collapse rapidly cause the cancerous mass to break apart."

Stylized, it looks like this:

Data are promising: In early studies, "50 to 75 percent of liver tumor volume in rats was destroyed by histotripsy," while "no tumors recurred or spread in more than 80 percent of the animals." Human trials, meanwhile, have been underway for several years now.

The price tag per treatment, meanwhile, is a little over $12,000 — not shabby when you consider how expensive other cancer treatments can quickly get.

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