Cutting Edge NanoKnife Technology Now At Mercy

(Baltimore, MD) -- Mercy Medical Center is now among an exclusive group of hospitals to offer the state-of-the-art NanoKnife system which uses targeted electrical pulses to destroy cancerous tumor cells.

The NanoKnife system can be used to treat a variety of soft tissue tumors, but is typically employed as a late-stage therapy for locally advanced pancreatic and liver cancers.

According Debashish Bose, M.D., PhD, FACS of Surgical Oncology at Mercy, this next generation technology uses needles which are positioned around the tumor using ultrasound or CT scan guidance. Once the needles are properly positioned, electric current is passed between them, killing the cancer cells while avoiding damage to nearby healthy blood vessels, nerves and ducts.

“The NanoKnife provides an ablative approach to permanently damaging cancer cells that may be difficult to reach and treat with traditional methods. The carefully placed probes destroy the diseased tissue using pulsed, low-current, high-voltage electrical energy known as irreversible electroporation (IRE), while preserving structural elements in the tissue,” Dr. Bose explained.

“The electrical pulses create small holes in the membranes of the cancer cells, permanently damaging them, causing them to die off,” Dr. Bose said. 

Dr. Bose is an experienced liver and pancreatic surgeon, certified in Surgical Oncology, and board certified in General Surgery.  Dr. Bose and his colleagues at Mercy Medical Center treat benign and malignant disease of the abdominal cavity and peritoneal cavity, using both open and minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery.  For such complex conditions, the team at Mercy applies a multidisciplinary approach to provide optimal care, which requires careful sequences of different types of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, NanoKnife, and other specialized therapies.