Newswise — Debashish Bose, M.D., Medical Director, The Center for Hepatobiliary Disease at Mercy, and Associate Director, Surgical Oncology at Mercy, The Institute for Cancer Care, is the principal investigator for a new study sponsored by AngioDynamics regarding the safety and efficacy of the Nanoknife System for the ablation (surgical removal) of Stage 3 pancreatic adenocarcinoma (cancer). Stage 3 means that the cancer has spread outside the pancreas, such as to the blood vessels near the pancreas.
AngioDynamics is a global provider of industry-leading medical devices used worldwide for the treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease. Developed by AngioDynamics, the NanoKnife System is a next-generation technology that physicians have identified as an innovative treatment for pancreatic cancer, as evidenced by 42 publications documenting more than 800 patients that have been treated for Stage III pancreatic cancer with NanoKnife between 2012 to 2019.
With Nanoknife, needles are positioned around the patient’s tumor using ultrasounds or CT scans. Once the needles are in place, electric current is passed between them, killing the cancer cells while avoiding nearby healthy blood vessels, nerves and ducts.
“The NanoKnife serves to permanently damage cancer cells that may be difficult to reach and treat with traditional methods. The probes destroy the diseased tissue using pulsed, low-current, high-voltage electrical energy known as irreversible electroporation (IRE), while preserving surrounding healthy tissue,” Dr. Bose explained.
According to Dr. Bose, Mercy is part of a multi-center, observational study involving more than 500 patients (at least 18 years of age) in as many as 30 hospitals in the U.S. with information gathered over 24-60 months. The study will collect data on half of the Stage 3 pancreatic cancer patients who will undergo the IRE with the Nanoknife System, while the other half will have received “at least three months of standard care and with no evidence that their disease has progressed beyond Stage 3,” he said.
“The study’s objectives include determining if Nanoknife increases patients’ overall survival, provides a more effective treatment than standard modalities, reduces cancer pain and the need for certain pain medications, and improves patient quality of life,” Dr. Bose said.
While most ablative procedures involve using heat or cold, the NanoKnife’s use of electricity allows for greater accuracy in targeting only the cancerous tissue.
“The electrical pulses create small holes in the membranes of the cancer cells, permanently damaging them, causing them to die off,” Dr. Bose said.
Dr. Bose has been utilizing NanoKnife for treating later stage pancreatic cancer for more than 5 years with positive results.
“Pancreatic cancers can be challenging from a treatment perspective, especially where the cancer has spread to nearby organs and vital structures. NanoKnife provides the chance to extend survival by removing a significant portion of hard-to-reach, diseased cells, while preserving functional, critical nerves, blood vessels and ducts. By taking part in this research, we can continue to learn how NanoKnife can benefit the patient on multiple levels, from reducing mortality, pain, the need for chemotherapy, and more,” Dr. Bose said.
To determine if you may be eligible to participate in this clinical trial for NanoKnife, contact Surgical Oncology, The Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy, Mercy Medical Center, 227 St. Paul Place, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21202, or call 410-332-9349.
RSS