10/06/2026
【NTUH Establishes the Asia-Pacific’s Only Histotripsy Training Center for Cancer Treatment
Signs Memorandum of Understanding with HistoSonics to Advance Taiwan as a Regional Hub for Non-Invasive Cancer Therapy】
https://www.ntuh.gov.tw/ntuh/News.action?l=en_US&q_type=-1&q_itemCode=18928
Cancer treatment is rapidly entering a new era defined by non-invasive, precision, and personalized medicine. National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has long been dedicated to advancing minimally invasive oncology interventions and multidisciplinary integrated cancer care, while actively promoting innovation in the treatment of complex tumors. On June 10, 2026, NTUH officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HistoSonics, a U.S.-based leader in focused ultrasound histotripsy technology, and simultaneously unveiled the “Asia-Pacific Histotripsy Training Center for Cancer Treatment.” The agreement was signed on behalf of NTUH by Superintendent Chong-Jen Yu, marking a significant international milestone for Taiwan in the field of non-invasive cancer therapy.
This collaboration not only reflects global recognition of NTUH’s achievements in the clinical application, research development, and international training capacity of histotripsy technology, but also establishes NTUH as the only medical center in the Asia-Pacific region with multi-cancer histotripsy clinical trial experience and a comprehensive training system.
Moving forward, NTUH will play a pivotal role in regional medical education, establishment of technical standards, integration of clinical research, and international collaboration.
Superintendent Yu stated that Histotripsy has emerged as one of the most groundbreaking innovations in global cancer treatment in recent years. The technology utilizes high-intensity focused ultrasound to generate dense microbubble clouds within tumors. Through the rapid expansion and collapse of these bubbles, powerful mechanical forces fragment and liquefy tumor tissue without relying on conventional thermal ablation, cryotherapy, or radiation. As a result, histotripsy is widely regarded as a major milestone in the evolution of cancer therapy from “minimally invasive” to “non-invasive” treatment.
Since introducing histotripsy technology in 2025, NTUH has rapidly established a comprehensive clinical and research platform and successfully applied the technology to a variety of challenging cancers and anatomically complex tumors, including liver cancer, biliary tract cancer, pancreatic cancer, renal cancer, and sarcoma. NTUH has developed an integrated treatment workflow encompassing patient selection, imaging evaluation, treatment planning, anesthesia coordination, intraoperative monitoring, and post-treatment follow-up. Related achievements have also been presented at numerous international medical conferences, demonstrating NTUH’s leadership in non-invasive oncology treatment and multidisciplinary team integration.
The newly established Asia-Pacific Histotripsy Training Center will position NTUH as the regional core institution for three major missions. First, the center will establish standardized training programs to provide comprehensive technical education for physicians, imaging specialists, anesthesiology teams, and nursing professionals, enabling healthcare institutions across the Asia-Pacific region to safely and effectively adopt histotripsy technology. Second, it will continue to advance research in difficult-to-treat cancers and expand the clinical applications of histotripsy for complex tumors. Third, the center will integrate international clinical data and foster multinational research collaborations to establish a regional research platform for non-invasive cancer therapy.
According to Dr. Kai-Wen Huang, Director of the NTUH Center for Minimally Invasive Cancer Intervention, histotripsy represents an important step in cancer intervention therapy from “small incisions” toward “incision-free” treatment. With the establishment of the Asia-Pacific’s only histotripsy training center, Taiwan will continue not only to provide advanced treatment options for domestic patients, but also to undertake broader responsibilities in regional medical education, technical standard development, clinical research integration, and international collaboration, allowing the world to recognize Taiwan’s innovation and capabilities in non-invasive cancer treatment.
Dr. Huang also emphasized that despite the significant potential of histotripsy, treatment suitability must still be carefully evaluated by professional multidisciplinary teams based on tumor location, tumor size, organ function, disease stage, and overall treatment planning. Clinical indications and applications will continue to follow regulatory requirements, clinical trial protocols, and medical ethics review processes.
NTUH further noted that unlike traditional thermal ablation techniques, which still require needle insertion into tumors, histotripsy’s greatest advantages include the absence of surgical incisions, puncture procedures, thermal injury, and radiation exposure. The technology may offer reduced risks of heat diffusion, bleeding, and damage to surrounding tissues, particularly for tumors located near major blood vessels, bile ducts, gastrointestinal structures, or deep organs. However, histotripsy is far more than a device-based procedure; it is a sophisticated treatment platform that relies heavily on advanced imaging interpretation, tumor anatomy expertise, anesthesia coordination, and multidisciplinary integration.
Looking ahead, NTUH will continue progressing from “technology adoption” toward “technology exportation,” providing patients in Taiwan with advanced and less invasive cancer treatment options while actively promoting Asia-Pacific medical education, international collaboration, and integrated clinical research. Through these efforts, NTUH aims to showcase Taiwan’s innovative strength and medical excellence in the rapidly evolving field of non-invasive cancer therapy.
