Microsulis Medical Limited, the leading company in microwave technology for medical devices, today announced that the first U.S. patient was treated with the company's Accu2i percutaneous microwave tissue ablation (pMTA) system. The Accu2i pMTA system, which is now in worldwide distribution, is indicated for the coagulation of soft tissue during surgical procedures and recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance.
“The device performed beyond my expectations - it was faster and better than the previous MTA system”
The procedure involved a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer, and was performed by Dr. N. Joseph Espat, professor and chief, surgical hepatobiliary oncology at Roger Williams Medical Center, Boston University. During the procedure, Dr. Espat combined microwave ablation using the Accu2i pMTA system of one 3cm tumor with surgical resection of two additional tumors.
"The device performed beyond my expectations - it was faster and better than the previous MTA system," said Dr. N. Joseph Espat, professor and chief, surgical hepatobiliary oncology at Roger Williams Medical Center, Boston University. "The pMTA system is easier to handle and the diameter of the antenna makes it very safe. The tumor ablation was more rapid and efficient as compared to any other monopolar RFA system I've used previously. I'm pleased that Roger Williams Medical Center continues to be a technology leader for the treatment of patients with complex liver tumors."
Liver cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and will kill almost all patients who have it within a year. According to the American Cancer Society, the incidence of liver cancer has been steadily increasing, along with death rates, since the early 1980s. More than 80 percent of all new liver cancer cases diagnosed are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The 5-year relative survival rate for patients with liver cancer is 14 percent. Five-year survival is 26 percent among patients in whom cancer is found at an early stage, compared to only two percent when it is found after spreading to distant organs (Cancer Facts & Figures 2010, American Cancer Society).
"We are delighted to report the first pMTA case in the United States and consider it a milestone in providing a sophisticated, fast and effective method for ablating unwanted tissue masses," said Stuart McIntyre, CEO of Microsulis Medical Limited. "Current RFA and microwave systems have proven to have certain limitations when it comes to treating large and numerous cancerous tumors. With the Accu2i, surgeons can now perform larger and faster ablations that are suitable and less invasive for a broader group of patients."
Historically, treatment options for liver cancer have included one or a combination of treatments including surgical removal of the cancer, chemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or radiation therapy. Ablative therapies, which aim to destroy tumors in-situ, are limited by the number and size of the tumors that can be targeted, therefore eliminating them as an option in many cases due to the limited performance of existing RFA and microwave systems. However, the Acculis Accu2i pMTA system is the first high power 2.45 GHz system that enables larger and faster ablations to be performed. This means that ablative therapy will now be available as an option for many more patients.
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