Siriraj Hospital treatment zaps liver cancer
Siriraj Hospital has introduced a new minimally invasive treatment against inoperable liver cancer — the so-called “nanoknife”.
Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the hospital, said treatment can be given to patients suffering from liver cancer in which the tumour is less than five millimetres in diameter and very close to bile ducts, which precludes patients from having surgery.
The treatment involves between two to six needles — each 1mm in diameter — piercing the tumour and a high electrical current of up to 3 kilovolts zapping it through the needles.
Using this technique, a tumour cell is subjected to a powerful electrical field which creates multiple holes, killing the cancerous cell, according the the medical team.
The benefit of this technique is that only cancer cells are killed while normal cells are left undamaged, thereby minimising the risk of damaging nearby organs or blood vessels.
Dr Prasit admitted the cost of the new treatment is high and it is not available in any state healthcare scheme.
However, doctors will recommend the treatment to patients where appropriate, he said.
For patients who are unable to afford it, the hospital will help offset the cost via the hospital’s fund, he said, adding that people wishing to donate money to support poor patients can contact the hospital at 02-419-7658 to 60.