William Huang, MD, discusses the potential of histotripsy for renal tumors

In this video, recorded at the 2026 LUGPA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, William C. Huang, MD, discusses the principles of histotripsy and its potential application in the treatment of renal tumors, highlighting the design of the pivotal #HOPE4KIDNEY trial and the importance of evaluating renal function preservation. Huang is a professor of urology and radiology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the chief of urology at Tisch Hospital, NYU Langone Health.

Huang explains that histotripsy is a noninvasive tissue-destruction technology that uses high-amplitude ultrasound waves to mechanically disrupt tissue. He notes that unlike conventional approaches such as radiation and thermal ablation, the technology does not rely on heat to destroy targeted tissue, potentially allowing for more precise treatment while limiting off-target effects. Histotripsy is currently FDA approved for liver tumors, and the device has been submitted to the FDA for use in the destruction of renal tumors.

Huang reviews the design of the #HOPE4KIDNEY trial (NCT05820087), a prospective, multicenter, single-arm pivotal study evaluating histotripsy in patients with biopsy-proven renal masses measuring 3 cm or smaller. The study enrolled 67 patients with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rates of at least 45 mL/min, and excluded patients with angiomyolipomas or end-stage kidney disease. The primary end points evaluated safety at 30 days and efficacy at 90 days following treatment.

An important consideration in evaluating histotripsy for renal tumors is its potential to preserve kidney function while providing oncologic control, Huang adds. He explains that renal function preservation is among the outcomes being assessed in #HOPE4KIDNEY.

“We want to provide oncologic control and yet preserve kidney function to the best that we can do by preserving nephrons and avoiding injury to the surrounding structures,” he said.

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REFERENCE

1. The HistoSonics Edison™ System for treatment of primary solid renal tumors using histotripsy (#HOPE4KIDNEY) (#HOPE4KIDNEY). ClinicalTrials.gov. June 23, 2026. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05820087