SARASOTA, Fla. (May 21, 2026) – Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute is among the first wave of hospitals and cancer centers introducing a breakthrough, non-surgical treatment for liver tumors – a major advance in cancer care that offers new hope for people with limited options.
A low-risk, ultrasound procedure that can target and destroy inoperable and hard-to-reach liver tumors, the Edison Histotripsy System is completely non-invasive, meaning it can be performed without surgical cuts or incisions. Rather, it involves positioning an ultrasound machine over the abdomen and directing high-intensity sound waves toward liver tumors. The sound waves create a cloud of tiny bubbles that mechanically break down the cancerous masses into a harmless liquid that the body’s natural filtration system clears away over time.
The Food & Drug Administration cleared HistoSonics’ novel treatment for primary and metastatic liver tumors in late 2023, after more than two decades of research and clinical trials. Sarasota Memorial is among a select group of about 100 regional hospitals and cancer centers adopting the technology during its early rollout phase.
“We’re always looking for new and better ways to care for our patients, and this is one of them,” said Kenneth Meredith, MD, gastrointestinal surgical oncologist with SMH First Physicians Group, chief of surgical oncology at Sarasota Memorial and medical director of the gastrointestinal cancer specialty program at SMH’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute. “While surgery is typically the first and most effective course of treatment for liver cancer, this technology is a safe, viable option for patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed, or who may not be good candidates for surgery.”
Unlike surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, histotripsy’s focused ultrasound causes minimal to no side effects – no cuts or scars, no burns or hair loss, no fatigue or nausea, and no harm to healthy tissue or nearby blood vessels. The procedure takes up to an hour per tumor and is typically performed under general anesthesia. Patients usually go home the same or next day.
Clinical studies demonstrate that the Edison system is 95% effective at destroying tumors, in most cases during a single treatment session. Studies currently show that 90% of targeted liver tumors have not returned one year after treatment.
While its FDA clearance specifically covers the treatment of liver tumors, it also has been used to manage biliary and vascular obstructions, provide palliative/pain care relief and as a bridge therapy for patients awaiting liver transplants. Clinical trials also are testing the technology’s ability to treat tumors in other organs and other conditions.
About the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute at Sarasota Memorial
The Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute at Sarasota Memorial is a center of excellence that provides advanced cancer care across the entire continuum— from prevention, screening and diagnosis to advanced treatments, clinical trials and survivorship support. The Cancer Institute's world-class facilities include an 8-story oncology inpatient and surgical tower that opened on the Sarasota hospital campus in 2021, a Radiation Oncology Center that opened on the University Parkway outpatient campus in 2020, and a new Cancer Pavilion with a full slate of outpatient services slated to open in May 2026. Learn more at smh.com/cancer.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice (and third under construction in North Port), freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and SMH First Physicians Group primary and specialty care practices. Founded in 1925, SMH’s flagship Sarasota campus also is home to the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion and Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice have earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The SMH-Sarasota is the only Florida hospital – and one of just 11 in the nation -- to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from CMS every year since the federal rating program began in 2016.