Clinical studies of a new device for the treatment of tumors are being conducted in China. With its help, holes are made in cancer cells, due to which malignant neoplasms die within a few seconds.
Chinese doctors are conducting clinical trials of a new cancer treatment device that affects tumors with the help of electrical impulses. These discharges make it possible to create holes in cells 100,000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. Holes cause the death of cancer cells in a few seconds, while healthy cells are not damaged.
Animal studies have shown that approximately 70% of cancer cases can be effectively treated with this device, which causes a reduction in the size of the tumor. Now 61 women with breast cancer are taking part in new studies. Scientists claim that the technology can cause a revolution in the treatment of cancer, and in particular, in the fight against solid tumors that have not yet metastasized.
The technology, called irreversible electro-pulse opening of cellular pores (irreversible electroporation, IRE), went through small trials on animals suffering from tumors of the prostate, kidneys, liver, pancreas and lungs. Small-scale clinical studies were conducted with the participation of people suffering from the same types of tumors. Scientists have been looking for non-invasive alternatives to surgical cancer treatment for a long time, so radiofrequency and microwave techniques, as well as cryoablation (the use of extreme cold) are considered very promising.
However, all of these techniques also have a risk of causing damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. IRE does not use temperature, but destabilizes cancer cells by making holes in them. The technique uses a generator that creates short pulses of strong electric charges that pass through 6 electrodes. All energy is directed exclusively to cancer cells.