Recently, the Department of Radiation Oncology of the First People's Hospital of Zhumadian admitted a special patient. The patient is a 58-year-old female who was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer during a physical examination one and a half years ago. After receiving immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and cryoablation, the cancerous lesion still showed local progression.

After being admitted by Director Liu Hongbo of the Department of Radiation Oncology, the team conducted multiple discussions on the patient's condition and consulted with Professor Fu Dianxun, an expert in interventional radiology at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, several times. After the consultation, Director Liu and Professor Fu agreed that the patient's condition was severe, the tumor location was special, and the tumor volume was relatively large. Additionally, the cancerous lesion had invaded surrounding tissues, which placed extremely high demands on the upcoming surgical procedure. After expert discussions, NanoKnife ablation surgery was determined to be the best treatment option for the patient.

As one of the cancer treatment methods, Nanoknife ablation has been gradually applied in clinical practice in major medical institutions in first-tier cities across the country in recent years, but it is still the first case in the southern part of Henan province. Director Liu explained that Nanoknife is a new minimally invasive tumor ablation technology. It uses percutaneous intervention to place the ablation electrode in the area where the lesion is located and releases high-voltage pulses to break the tumor cell membrane, forming a permanent nanometer-level perforation on the tumor cells, destroying the steady state inside the cancer cells, causing rapid apoptosis of cancer cells, also known as "irreversible electroporation". This technology can accurately perform selective ablation, effectively protecting the surrounding structures such as blood vessels, nerves, and veins around the lesion, and is not affected by the "heat sink effect", ensuring the ablation effect. After the cancer cells undergo apoptosis, the human body can stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, and the treatment area is gradually replaced by normal tissue, which helps patients recover after surgery. This innovative technology also brings good news to patients with complex and difficult-to-treat cancers.

On August 3, 2022, Professor Fu Dianxun, an expert in interventional radiology at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, was invited to assist Director Liu Hongbo's team in the Department of Tumor Radiotherapy at the First People's Hospital of Zhumadian City to perform nanoknife ablation surgery for the patient. The "domestic Nanoknife" used in this surgery is the High Voltage Steep Pulse Minimally Invasive Therapeutic System independently developed and produced by Alpmed.

After thorough preoperative preparation, the liver tumor nanoknife ablation surgery began at 1 pm using four needles for ablation under CT guidance. With their rich experience, the two directors positioned the needles in a staggered manner, paired them up, and made multiple adjustments during the surgery to completely cover the area where the tumor was located. A total of seven rounds of ablation were performed, and with the precise operation of Director Liu Hongbo's team and Professor Fu Dianxun, the surgery was successfully completed.

Director Liu administered the needle to the patient

After the surgery, Director Liu Hongbo highly recognized the use of the "domestic nano-knife" - the Aier Easy Pulse Minimally Invasive Treatment System in this treatment. The First People's Hospital of Zhoukou City took the lead in carrying out the nano-knife tumor ablation treatment surgery in the southern part of Henan Province, and the success of the surgery demonstrated the excellent professional technical level of the tumor radiotherapy department and their strong ability to master new technologies. In the future, the tumor radiotherapy department will continue to provide comprehensive and accurate diagnosis and treatment for more patients with advanced technology and high-quality services, and escort the life safety and physical health of the people in southern Henan Province.