SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Chemotherapy and surgery could be a thing of the past for some forms of cancer. A Utah company has developed new technology that kills tumors by simply turning up the heat.
Salt Lake's BSD Medical harnessed the energy of microwave as the latest tool against soft tissue cancers. Pamela Vineyard Boucher says it saved her life. "I thank God everyday, you know, for giving me another day."
Pamela battled ovarian cancer in 1999, it came back twice in other areas of her pelvis. Both times she fought it off with chemo and surgery.
"The surgery is very invasive, and then trying to recover from that and then go right into chemo; It is one of the hardest things you can ask your body to do." When another tumor appeared, this time in her liver, it was devastating." I said I can't do that again."
Pamela didn't have to. The Microtherm-X, a breakthrough cancer fighting technology was the answer to her prayers. It was developed in Utah by BSD Medical. It is essentially a microwave for tumors.
Dr. James Carlisle, and interventional radiologist, practices at the Utah Vascular Clinic. He is one of a handful of doctors using the new machine. “You use it like a microwave. It's like a microwave oven. From the first second you turn it on the entire oven is hot, so it’s less affected by blood vessels and other structures.” He says it is a big improvement over other devices that use radio frequency.
Pamela became one of the first six patients treated for cancer using the new machine. The Microtherm-X was approved by the FDA last fall. "I thought it was exciting and I was all for it."
BSD reports the machine operates at a frequency a third of the microwave in your kitchen. Its energy is targeted at tumors using small antennas, inserted with catheters.
Doctors set parameters so only cancerous cells are targeted, and view their progress with a CAT scan. Temperatures are turned up to above 120 degrees, and in about ten minutes, the tumor is gone. Dr. Carlisle says "The tumor really is being subjected to very high levels of heat and it cooks.” And while it may sound painful, both doctor and patient say it is not. Boucher says "zero, I had absolutely no pain from that procedure.”
Dr. Carlisle says there is no need to surgically remove the tumor because it is either absorbed by the body or becomes simple scar tissue. Boucher says it was good to go home without stitches and cancer free. "Just a little band aid and keep it dry for a couple of days and good to go."
Doctors say this new therapy is not a replacement for traditional cancer treatments, but is a new option. BSD also makes thermal treatments that use radio waves to enhance chemo, and radiation therapy.
Some still consider this new technology experimental but so far, testing has proven it to be highly effective.
to find out more about this new therapy and the company that developed it go to
www.bsdmedical.com 
