UK First: 92-Year-Old Beats Inoperable Tumor

A 92-year-old woman from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has become the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive a pioneering robotic-guided electrochemotherapy for an inoperable liver tumour. Brenda Iveson was initially told that conventional therapies, including surgery, would be ineffective against the six-centimetre growth.

Medics at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust offered the minimally invasive treatment, which combines a low dose of chemotherapy with targeted electrical pulses. Using robotic needle guidance, surgeons precisely positioned needles around the tumour, a novel approach for liver cancer treatment in the UK. This technique improves accuracy, especially for difficult-to-reach tumours.

Following the procedure, Mrs. Iveson's tumour has shrunk by approximately 80%. She described the treatment as offering real hope and stated it was not painful or debilitating. Professor Tze Min Wah, who led the innovation, highlighted the robotic guidance's role in enhancing precision and enabling treatment options for patients with tumours in challenging locations or who are unsuitable for other therapies.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is currently the sole UK participant in a European research study assessing the safety and efficacy of electrochemotherapy for liver cancer patients. Mrs. Iveson expressed gratitude for the treatment, emphasizing its potential to prolong her life and benefit future patients, especially those who are frail.