A 92-year-old great-grandmother from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has become the first person in the United Kingdom to receive a pioneering robotic-guided electrochemotherapy treatment for an inoperable liver tumour. Brenda Iveson underwent the minimally invasive procedure at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust after being told that conventional treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, would not be effective due to the tumour’s size and location, as well as her frailty.
Innovative Treatment Approach
The novel therapy combines a small dose of chemotherapy with targeted electrical pulses, precisely delivered through robotic needles. Unlike traditional heat-based ablation techniques, this method uses electrical fields to enhance drug uptake in cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, making it safe to treat tumours near vital structures. This marks the first time robotic guidance has been used for electrochemotherapy in a liver in the UK.
Remarkable Results
Following the treatment, scans showed that Mrs Iveson’s six-centimetre tumour had shrunk by approximately 80 per cent. She reported feeling very well and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to receive the therapy, which offered hope where there were previously no options. The success of this case highlights the potential of combining robotics with electrochemotherapy to treat previously inoperable liver cancers.
Medical professionals at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust described the procedure as a ‘trailblazing’ example of how the NHS is integrating cutting-edge technologies to improve patient outcomes. Mrs Iveson’s case is expected to pave the way for wider adoption of this technique in the UK, offering new possibilities for elderly or frail patients who cannot undergo conventional cancer treatments.
