There are many types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, that are inherently difficult to treat. In some cases, hard-to-treat cancers, especially late stage cancers that affect vital organs, may have been limited to chemotherapy or radiation as a palliative measure. NanoKnife cancer surgery has several benefits for patients who were typically left with few or no options.
Less Risky Procedure
Some late-stage cancers are treated with ablation techniques which help shrink or kill malignant tumors by destroying them with extreme temperatures. Traditional ablation techniques can be risky, especially when malignant tumors are being fed by blood vessels or are encroaching near major blood vessels or organs.
One advantage of NanoKnife over ablation is it is more precise, which means there is less risk of damaging neighboring tissues or blood vessels. NanoKnife uses electrical pulses, not the extreme temperatures that are used in ablation or similar techniques to destroy malignant tumors. The malignant cells are destroyed because the electrical current signals them to self-destruct. Since the procedure is also less invasive than ablation, patients can go home soon after the procedure and require less recovery time.
Repeatable Procedure
Another advantage of NanoKnife is the procedure can be used multiple times. A common occurrence with late-stage cancers is they metastasize to other areas in the body and often to or near important organs, which can make them inoperable.
Since NanoKnife can be used for tumors of the lungs and liver, the procedure can make removal of both primary and metastatic tumors possible. Furthermore, since metastatic tumors can reoccur or clean margins were not achieved after the first treatment, subsequent tumors that develop may be removed with the same minimally-invasive procedure.
More Time
NanoKnife has been shown to improve the survival rates in patients with pancreatic cancer. In one study, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were shown to survive approximately twice as long when using NanoKnife as an adjunctive treatment than if they were to use other treatments alone.
Even when a curative treatment is no longer an option, patients can find comfort in knowing there are options that might give them more time with their family or more time to engage in experimental treatments that may prove effective in treating their type of cancer.
Previously, many people with inoperable tumors only had the option for palliative chemotherapy and/or radiation, but now there are better options. Although many late-stage cancers may not be cured, NanoKnife can help alleviate symptoms associated with growing tumors with fewer risks and less recovery time.
Share10 April 2017
I was always very healthy throughout my childhood, but when I became a teenager, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Thankfully, I had the support of my loving family to help keep me upbeat during a time that could have led to me experiencing the depression that some do after they first learn they will have an illness for life. I am very grateful for the advice I have gotten throughout my life, so I decided to create a blog where I can share all of the advice that has helped me live a happy, healthy life, despite having a chronic illness. Since I am on a medication that suppresses my immune system, I have also studied up on many other illnesses and tips for avoiding them and treating them. I plan to post health tips for people of a variety of ages and suffering with various illnesses!