A Philadelphia Cancer Center Adds Electric-Based Method To Its Arsenal
By Lynne Adkins
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local cancer center is using new electrical technology to treat inoperable tumors.
The "Nanoknife" is able to target especially difficult tumors: those which can't be removed because of their critical location, or those that have not responded to conventional treatment.
Dr. Steven Wagner, an interventional radiologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia, says the procedure begins with needles being placed through the skin and around the tumor.
"The device then applies a high-voltage, low-current electricity between the needles, through the tumor, allowing us to destroy or ablate the tumor," he explains.
He says that because the Nanoknife technology doesn't get hot like other procedures, it can be used to treat the mass without burning nearby tissue and organs -- and, if necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
