Ultrasound focused knife plus particle implantation for the treatment of intermediate to advanced pancreatic cancer

  Pancreatic cancer is highly malignant and is characterized by late detection, early metastasis, rapid progression and poor prognosis. Radical resection is the first choice of treatment for pancreatic cancer, however, because most patients are already advanced at the time of consultation, only 12%-15% of patients are feasible for radical surgery. For most of the locally advanced pancreatic cancers that cannot be removed by surgery, the main treatment is radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Since pancreatic cancer is a tumor without blood supply, systemic chemotherapy is not effective. Although conventional radiation therapy has certain efficacy in pancreatic cancer and can improve patients’ clinical symptoms, the radiation tolerance around the pancreas such as stomach, small intestine, liver, kidney and spinal cord is low, which limits the dose of radiation therapy and thus cannot effectively improve the local control rate of tumor.  After our clinical practice, we confirmed that ultrasound focused knife + radioactive particle implantation minimally invasive treatment is a good method to treat pancreatic cancer. Firstly, we apply the high-intensity focused ultrasound knife with non-invasive characteristics, using the good focus of ultrasound and the permeability of energy to effectively irradiate the pancreatic tumor and irreversibly kill the tumor cells by using the instant local high temperature (70℃-110℃) without damaging the normal tissues. Most of the tumors are killed by ultrasonic knife treatment, resulting in lack of blood supply to the tumor and reducing the risk of needle tract metastasis caused by puncture. This is followed by particle implantation for consolidation therapy to further improve the local treatment effect. Because the radioactive particles are directly implanted in the tumor, the killing effect is obvious, and because of the close irradiation, the impact on the surrounding normal tissues is minimal. Therefore, the combined application of these two minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of pancreatic cancer is reliable, with little side effects and short treatment time. The total efficiency can reach 70%, which is satisfactory. Since the treatment is minimally (non-)invasive, it is easily tolerated by patients. It is especially suitable for older and weaker patients who are not suitable for surgical treatment.  In conclusion, ultrasound focused knife plus particle implantation is a simple, minimally invasive and safe technique for pancreatic cancer treatment, with positive clinical efficacy.