Electrical treatment doubles Pancreatic Cancer survival

Using tiny but powerful bursts of electricity to make holes in pancreatic cancer cells may improve survival rates for some patients, new research suggests.

Using zaps of electricity in certain patients can "nearly double the survival rate with the best new chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy," said study author Dr. Robert Martin II, director of surgical oncology at the University of Louisville.

Surgeons can use the short electrical bursts to kill cancerous cells in delicate areas without destroying noncancerous tissue nearby, such as nerves. The electrical bursts make permanent holes, or pores, in the cells, eventually killing them, the researchers said.

The procedure is called irreversible electroporation, or IRE.

However, Martin said the next step for his team is to test the treatment in a clinical trial with a larger group of patients.

The people in the current study all had a pancreatic tumor that had extended into nearby organs, making complete surgical removal impossible. The zapping technique is intended to corral the cancer cells and extend the patient's survival.