After a cancer diagnosis, your doctors may recommend surgery as part of your treatment plan or surgery may be delayed because the tumor is in a dangerous location. Depending on your specific type of cancer and recommended treatment plan, NanoKnife might be a better option than traditional surgical resection.

1. Less Invasive Procedure 

Whenever possible, the least invasive method of removing your tumor is usually the better option. The less trauma your body experiences, the easier it will be to recover from a procedure, especially if you had chemotherapy or will have chemotherapy in the future. NanoKnife does not require a traditional incision, which reduces the risk of post-procedural infection and bleeding. 

A less invasive procedure generally translates into a faster recovery time, which can be invaluable for people who are going through cancer treatments but must continue to work or care for their family. Since there is less post-procedural pain with NanoKnife than traditional surgery, you may little or no narcotic pain relievers.

2. More Versatility

NanoKnife is more versatile than open surgical removal. Traditionally, surgeons make a judgment on whether they will attempt the removal of a cancerous tumor based on imaging tests. With improved imaging that can help surgeons map a tumor in 3D, it is much easier to determine whether there are blood vessels nearby or feeding the tumor. If the surgery would be too risky, the surgeon might suggest alternative treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, that can help shrink the tumor in hopes of removing it later. In some cases, removal may not be an option, even with chemotherapy and radiation. NanoKnife can provide more treatment options for people who had little to no options for removal of their cancer.

3. Better Precision

NanoKnife destroys cancerous tumors by using electrical currents, which is less dangerous to healthy tissues than other procedures, such as those using extreme temperatures. Fine electrodes are placed near the tumor while the patient is under anesthesia and electrical currents disrupt the activity of cancer cells. 

One of the characteristics of cancerous cells which makes them different from healthy cells is they do not enter apoptosis (programmed cell death). The electrical current forces them into apoptosis. Eventually, the body naturally eliminates these dead cells. It is also possible that more of the cancerous cells can be destroyed through NanoKnife than trying to achieve clear margins with resection alone.

If you have an inoperable or complicated cancerous tumor, discuss the option of having the NanoKnife procedure with your oncologist.

Share