Nanoknife Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Yes. Because 29 MHz Exactvu™ Microultrasound can detect up to 13% of cancers missed by MRI (OPTIMUM Trial), our fusion technology provides a critical safety net, ensuring no part of the tumor is left untreated.⁷

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland found in men that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.¹¹ Prostate cancer is unique in that many prostate tumors do not spread quickly to other parts of the body. Even in cases where prostate cancer spreads, it can often be managed for a long time, allowing those even with advanced prostate cancer, to live with good health and quality of life for many years.¹¹ An important part of managing prostate cancer is monitoring it for growth over time. Based on the pattern of growth, your doctor can decide the best available treatment options and when to give them.¹¹

the function of the testicles.

Prostate cancer is given a grade called a Gleason score, which is the most common prostate cancer grading system used.¹¹ The score is calculated based on how close the cancer tissue looks like healthy tissue when viewed under a microscope.¹² Cancerous tumors that are less aggressive look more like healthy tissue. Whereas cancerous tumors that are more aggressive are likely to look very different from healthy tissue.¹¹ A pathologist, someone who looks at the cancerous cells under a microscope and does comparisons, will observe the cancer cells in the prostate and assign a score on a scale of 3 to 5.¹² They do this for two sections of the prostate that have cancer growth. The cancer cells that look similar to healthy cells are given a low score. The cancer cells that look less like healthy cells are given a higher score. The two scores are added together to come up with the overall Gleason score, which falls between 6 and 10¹¹.

Comparative Analysis: Prostate Cancer & Focal Therapy  Understanding the Shift to Focal Therapy: the “Middle Ground”  Currently, there are six main treatment types: Active Surveillance, Surgery, Radiation, Systemic Treatments, Testosterone Suppression, and Focal Therapy.

• The Problem with “Whole Gland”: Traditional surgery and radiation treat the entire prostate, often damaging surrounding nerves and the sphincter.¹³
• The Focal Solution: NanoKnife® focal therapy destroys small tumors without treating the rest of the prostate.¹⁻³ This is primarily for intermediate-risk patients(Gleason 7) who want to avoid the side effects of whole-gland removal.¹³

The goal is to treat the “index lesion” – the primary driver of cancer progression – while leaving the rest of the healthy prostate intact.¹³ This approach mirrors a “lumpectomy” rather than a “mastectomy,” prioritizing the preservation of life-altering functions like continence and potency.³

1. Why NanoKnife® is the Leading Focal Modality NanoKnife® (IRE) is uniquely positioned because it is non-thermal.

   • No “Heat Sink” Effect: Because it uses electrical pulses rather than heat (HIFU) or cold (Cryotherapy), it can safely treat tumors located near major blood vessels or the urethra without the energy being dissipated by blood flow.²
   • Preservation of Collagen Scaffolding: IRE destroys cellular membranes but leaves the underlying structural tissue (nerves and blood vessel walls) intact, allowing for superior functional recovery.²^,⁸
   • Salvage Success: 2026 research indicates that focal therapy is now a primary choice for “salvage” cases—where cancer returns after initial radiation—offering 9 to 24 times lower odds of complications than salvage surgery.¹⁴
   • NanoKnife® was developed in 2007 by a team of biomedical engineers in Virginia Technikon and the University of California in Berkeley.² It was FDA approved in 2008 and has been used around the world to treat liver, kidney, pancreas and more recently prostate cancer.⁵

Currently, there are six main types of treatment options available for those with prostate cancer. They include:

Active Surveillance When prostate cancer is not in the advanced stages or immediate treatment options are not yet necessary, active surveillance is suggested. This involves monitoring the cancer for signs that it is worsening. If the cancer is found to be worsening, then a more active treatment will begin, such as those listed below.¹¹

Surgery Prostate cancer surgery involves the removal of the prostate gland and some of the surrounding lymph nodes. The type of surgery depends on the stage of the disease, the man’s overall health, and other factors.¹¹

Radiation therapy Radiation therapy for prostate cancer is used to destroy the cancer cells with the use of high-energy rays. A radiation therapy regimen, or schedule, consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period of time.¹¹

Focal Therapy Focal therapies are considered less-invasive treatments. They can destroy small prostate tumors without treating the rest of the prostate. These treatments can use different forms of energy to destroy the cancer including heat, cold, or irreversible electroporation. This form of treatment is mostly for intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.¹⁻³^,¹³

Systemic Treatments Systemic therapy is the use of medication to destroy cancer cells. This type of medication is given through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. Systemic therapies are generally prescribed by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication.¹¹

Testosterone Suppression Therapy This form of treatment is based on lowering testosterone levels in the patient. Because prostate cancer growth is driven by male sex hormones called androgens, lowering levels of these hormones can help slow the growth of the cancer. The most common androgen is testosterone. Testosterone levels in the body can be lowered in a number of ways including surgical removal of the testicles or by taking drugs that turn off the function of the testicles.¹¹

Typically, 4 days. Catheter duration may be longer based on patient circumstances.¹⁻³

Side effects will typically last about 1-2 weeks. Actual side effects may be longer based on patient circumstances.¹⁻³