AngioDynamics announced the use of its Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) technology on a lymph node metastasis and the first lung lesion case.
The procedures were judged successful from a safety perspective. The hospital will conduct further patient follow-up before determining tumor response. These are the fifth and sixth cases using NanoKnife at The Alfred.
Commenting on the patient response, Dr. Ken Thompson, leader of the Study, said, “We have also treated tumors in the liver and kidney with NanoKnife, with similar experiences – no postoperative pain at all – and the procedures have raised no safety concerns.”
Thomson has been an interventional radiologist since 1974 and describes the absence of post-operative pain as “unique and remarkable”.
Unlike thermal ablation modalities like cryo-ablation, microwave, and radiofrequency ablation, IRE damages the cell membrane causing cell death but sparing surrounding structures like blood vessels and nerves. By lessening collateral damage, the body is better able to remove damaged tissues.
“The supporting structure of the [treated tissue] is not destroyed and vascular and nerve function is unaffected,” says Thompson.
AngioDynamics acquired IRE technology from Oncobionics in April 2008. AngioDynamics intends to file investigational device exemptions with the FDA to pursue additional and more specific tissue indications. Thus far, the device has been cleared for general soft tissue ablation.