DHR Health interventional gastroenterologist Dr. Prateek Harne is introducing a new pancreatic tumor therapy in the Rio Grande Valley. Harne spoke about the treatment during National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed in November.
The therapy is called Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Radiofrequency Ablation, or EUS-RFA. A small camera passes through the gastrointestinal tract to find the tumor in the pancreas. A small needle is then placed into the tumor to deliver controlled heat.
Harne said the heat kills some tumor cells and makes the tumor more porous, which may allow chemotherapy to penetrate further. He said using the therapy with chemotherapy could be more effective. He also said the treatment may prompt the body to attack other tumor sites that were not directly treated, a effect known as the abscopal effect. He described it as functioning almost like a vaccine.