NanoKnife® treatment

Advocate Health Care is one of only a few health care providers in Illinois to use the NanoKnife® System, a state-of-the-art surgical technology to treat pancreatic cancer. NanoKnife provides a minimally invasive option for patients with inoperable or difficult-to-reach tumors. Instead of using extreme heat or cold, which could damage normal healthy tissues, this technology uses electrical currents to destroy tumors.

How it works

NanoKnife is used for pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced and hasn’t spread to the liver or lungs, but can’t be safely cut out. By guiding thin needles into the patient’s body and strategically placing them around the tumor, electrical pulses then puncture holes in the tumor. The process causes the cancer cells to be unbalanced and trigger cell “suicide,” killing the tumor. The body then naturally rids itself of the dead cells, which are replaced with healthy cells. 

Benefits of NanoKnife

• No open incisions
• Minimal postoperative pain
• Less damage to healthy tissue
• Fewer side effects
• Short hospital stay
• Quick recovery
• Ability to repeat the procedure if new tumors develop