NanoKnife (irreversible electroporation)
NanoKnife uses irreversible electroporation (IRE): short, precisely controlled electrical pulses delivered through thin needles that break open the membranes of tumour cells. Because it does not rely on heat, it can sometimes be used close to blood vessels and ducts that heat-based treatments would damage.
Who it may suit
- Selected patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery
- Certain liver tumours close to major blood vessels or bile ducts
- Other selected solid tumours, when a multidisciplinary team agrees IRE is appropriate
What happens
- Review of pathology, recent CT or MRI scans and previous treatment
- Assessment by the interventional team, including anaesthetic risk
- Procedure under general anaesthesia, with needles placed under CT or ultrasound guidance
- A few days in hospital, then follow-up scans
About 1 to 2 weeks, including assessment and recovery.
Offered at only a few centres in Canada, mostly within research. UK NICE guidance advises using it for pancreatic cancer only in research settings.
Things to know. NanoKnife is not a proven cure for pancreatic cancer, and the evidence on survival is uncertain. Risks include bleeding, infection, pancreatitis, injury to nearby organs and heart rhythm problems. It should not replace recommended surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and standard treatment should not be delayed to pursue it. Being close to blood vessels does not by itself make a tumour suitable; the specialist team decides case by case.
Why an introduction matters
Many of China’s leading specialists work in busy public hospitals without international patient offices. They rarely answer enquiries from abroad directly, and a file sent without an introduction often goes unread. Cases usually reach them through people they already know and trust. Our team on the ground makes that introduction, presents your case properly in Chinese, and follows up until you have an answer.
Some programmes, especially stem-cell and other cell treatments, are experimental. We introduce them only if you ask and your own specialist agrees, and we never describe them as cures.