Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCI &RC), will introduce a breakthrough electrical technology called 'NanoKnife', a minimally invasive cancer treatment.

The precision of the NanoKnife will allow interventional radiologists to treat tumours that in the past would be virtually impossible for surgeons to operate on due to their location. It was announced at a three-day oncology conference here on Friday.

Dr Shivendra Singh, senior consultant & chief of GI Onco Surgery & Liver Transplant Services, RGCI & RC said, “The Nanoknife is able to target especially small tumours, typically less than 5 cm in size and difficult tumours which can’t be removed because of their critical location, or those that have not responded to conventional treatment.”

Developed by AngioDynamics, USA, the device costs about Rs.15 crore. According to RGCI&RC, its procurement is in an advanced stage of negotiation. The technology would be installed at the hospital as early as June this year and treatment could cost about Rs.3-4 lakh per patient, said a release.

Explaining the procedure, Dr Swarupa Mitra, consultant, Radiation Oncology, RGCI & RC said, “With the help of NanoKnife technology, doctors can remove cancerous tumours non-invasively using only three needle-like electrodes or probes, a computer and a powerful burst of electricity, rather than using surgery or a transplant. NanoKnife technology applies a series of quick bursts of electrical energy through electrodes that are inserted directly into and around the tumour and destroy it, leaving the surrounding tissue, veins, nerves and ducts unaffected. Healthy cells and tissue can then grow back and regenerate within the area.”

NanoKnife is not really a knife at all, as the name implies, but a new use of nanotechnology - the science of dealing with particles and dimensions down to the atomic level. It uses technology called irreversible electroporation, a process in which microsecond bursts of electrical pulses are delivered with military precision to irreversibly damage the cell membrane of cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue from harm. A series of 90 electrical pulses are delivered between the probes, opening tiny pores in the cancer cell membranes and, in effect, killing them, the release said.