Irreversible Electroporation for Resectable Pancreatic Head Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pilot Study for ‘margin accentuation’ using Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) for resectable pancreatic head cancer (IRE-RPC).
IRAS ID
233977
Contact name
Krishna Menon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (cancer) is the fourth leading cause of tumour-related death in the Western world. Removal of the tumour through surgery (resection) remains the best option for long-term survival. However, only 10-20% of patients with this type of pancreatic cancer can undergo surgery to remove the tumour. Resection margin (RM) involvement is a key factor used to determine a patient's likely long-term outcome following surgery and survival outcomes following pancreatic resection remain poor.
Irreversible electroporation (IPE) is a new therapy, which works by placing electrodes around the tumour and pulsing a direct current which causes cell death in the tumour but does not cause damage to the tissues of the organ surrounding the tumour. Because of the safer nature of using IRE, it can be used at the same time as pancreatic resection surgery to minimize the risk of tumour recurrence (the cancer coming back). This is measured in terms of "margin positivity". The margin is described as positive or involved when the pathologist finds cancer cells at the edge of the tissue, suggesting that all of the cancer has not been removed. The use of IRE has been shown to reduce margin positivity (residual cancer) in previous studies.
This study will look at data from 65 patients, who all had pancreatic resection surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy) whereby 20 patients had IRE at the same time as their surgery and 45 patients had a standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (also called a Whipple's procedure). This will enable us to understand whether or not the addition of the IRE procedure has a positive effect on the long-term survival and outcome of pancreatic cancer patients after surgery.
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0493
Date of REC Opinion
22 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion