Irreversible Electroporation for Treatment of Solid Abdominal Tumors

Oncology

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel non-thermal ablation modality with promise for revolutionizing the treatment for local solid tumors. With the growing demand for alternative and less invasive treatments for localized tumors, the investigators have seen the development and investigation of several tissue ablation modalities, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation, and cryoablation. Although these modalities have been efficacious, they have some disadvantages owing to their reliance on thermal energy for creating cell death.

Irreversible electroporation is novel in that it does not use thermal energy, but electrical energy to produce focused cell death while sparing the normal extracellular matrix, nearby vessels, and structures, while allowing for rapid normal tissue regrowth. Unlike thermal ablation modalities, Irreversible electroporation does not require significant consideration for dissipation of thermal energy, or heat sink, and has less complications relating to damage of normal soft tissue, eliminating a major cause of treatment failure. Irreversible electroporation is a novel minimally invasive tumor/tissue ablation technique that can be used under guidance of ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT), without inducing thermal damaging effects, and with preservation of the surrounding vital structures such as vessels, bile ducts, urethra, and nerves which remain intact to function normally, even in locally advanced tumors. The technique depends upon inducing apoptotic non-necrotic cell death in short procedure time. It has the advantage of allowing quick tissue regeneration. Irreversible electroporation treatment time is significantly shorter than traditional thermal ablation modalities, usually in few minutes range, and allows for treating considerably larger lesions than thermal ablation modalities.

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