Teams from the WVU Cancer Institute and the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute successfully introduced a groundbreaking thoracic oncology treatment using pulse electric field (PEF) ablation in patients with metastatic lung nodules, the first health system in West Virginia to use this technology.
The innovative technique, led by Saiesh Reddy Voppuru, M.D., an HVI thoracic surgeon, represents a significant advancement in care for patients with advanced stage disease and limited treatment options.
Unlike traditional ablation methods that rely on heat, cold or radiation, PEF uses ultra-short electrical pulses to disrupt tumor cells while preserving healthy tissue. When delivered using advanced navigational bronchoscopy technology, clinicians can treat lung nodules originating from various types of cancer, even those located deep within the lung that are typically hard to reach.
Treatment options are often limited, and PEF provides a minimally invasive approach that can control tumor growth, stabilize disease and may improve patients’ quality of life. WVU Medicine experts have performed 10 PEF ablations, offering renewed hope to patients whose cancers have progressed despite multiple lines of systemic therapy.
Patients typically go home shortly after the procedure is performed, and side effects are minimal and consistent with those seen in standard navigational bronchoscopy.
“This technology allows us to intervene when traditional therapies have been exhausted. For patients living with metastatic disease that cannot be cured, keeping the cancer from growing and doing so with a procedure that adds virtually no additional side effects is a tremendous benefit,” Voppuru said.
“With PEF, we are expanding the therapeutic toolbox for patients who previously had nowhere else to turn. It’s one more way we’re working to control disease, prolong survival, and improve outcomes for patients across West Virginia and beyond.”
Emerging evidence also shows that PEF may enhance the immune system’s response, improving the effectiveness of systemic therapies such as immunotherapy or targeted treatments.
WVU Medicine was recently chosen as a participating site in the national PROPÉL Registry Trial, which evaluates real-world outcomes of PEF therapy for metastatic lung nodules. This involvement enhances WVU Medicine’s ability to contribute to national data and advance the field of interventional thoracic oncology.
“With innovations like pulse electric field ablation, WVU Medicine continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in thoracic oncology,” Vinay Badhwar, M.D., executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute and chair of the WVU Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, said.
“The ability to precisely target metastatic lung nodules using a minimally invasive approach not only improves patient outcomes but also aligns with our mission to bring the most advanced, life-extending therapies to the people of West Virginia. This is transformative work that elevates care across our entire system.”
For more information on the WVU Cancer Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Cancer. For more information on the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Heart.
