1. < Pancreatic Cancer

Nanoknife for pancreatic cancer

Posted by hopefulandpositive @hopefulandpositive, Apr 10 11:16am

Hi,
My husband was diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma 7 months ago. It is inoperable because it is wrapped tightly around superior mesenteric artery. He has done 12 cycles of chemo (oxaliplatin, irinotecan and floururacil) but tumor has not shrunk but it hasn't spread/grew either. We were told that continuing chemo after this many sessions is not good for his bone marrow and another chemo regimen is unlikely to going to help if 5FU didn't. We are given an option to go through Nanoknife procedure to "freeze" the tumor. The surgeon said he has done 200 procedures in the last 7 years and there are still some patients who haven't had any additional growth. Does anyone have experience with nanoknife? How was it? Any concerns? Just trying to get more information on this procedure as we were told to make a decision as soon as possible as the tumor hasn't spread to other organs yet and he will no longer be a candidate if it presents spread.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

onlyjane | @onlyjane | Oct 31 9:44pm
In reply to @tiffboss "Hello hopefulandpositive, I had the Nanoknife procedure eleven months ago. Like your husband, I was not..." + (show)
@tiffboss

Hello hopefulandpositive,
I had the Nanoknife procedure eleven months ago. Like your husband, I was not a candidate for Whipple because of atrial involvement. My surgery was done at the University of Iowa Hospital by Dr. Carlos Chan. I had eight rounds of Folfirinox chemo and 25 rounds of chemo radiation prior to my surgery. The chemo and radiation shrank my tumor from about 3 cm to just under 2.

My surgery was an open procedure, and they also moved where my bowel connects to my stomach to avoid future blockages due to narrowing or scarring of the bowel (the tumor was very close to it). My surgery was on a Friday, and I went home the following Wednesday. I was definitely sore afterwards, but it wasn’t terrible. I used pain meds for maybe a week, mainly to help me sleep, then Tylenol was fine. My doctor did not recommend any chemo after the surgery, but some doctors do.

I’ve had PET and CT scans every three months. The most recent one was about a month ago. So far, so good! No signs of any active cancer cells and my CA 19-9 is at 18 (the lowest it’s ever been). I feel great, and dairy is the only food that gives me any minor issues.

I know not everyone is on board with this procedure, but I am very grateful that I was able to have it done. There is a Facebook page called Nanoknife Surgery Warriors. It is run by a doctor in Florida, Dr. Robert Donoway. He is a big proponent of Nanoknife and performs many of them. He thoroughly answers questions and in my opinion it’s worth checking out.

I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have. Best of luck!!

Jump to this post

Hi, my husband was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We are waiting for biopsies now and an appointment with Dr. Carlos Chan. We want to see if he qualifies for Nano Knife. Can you tell me more and how are you doing now? And the cost? I heard insurance does not cover it. Thank you for all the info you can give us.

REPLY
1 reply
tiffboss | @tiffboss | Nov 1 2:07pm
In reply to @onlyjane "Hi, my husband was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We are waiting for biopsies now and..." + (show)
@onlyjane

Hi, my husband was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We are waiting for biopsies now and an appointment with Dr. Carlos Chan. We want to see if he qualifies for Nano Knife. Can you tell me more and how are you doing now? And the cost? I heard insurance does not cover it. Thank you for all the info you can give us.

Jump to this post

Hi! It has been about a year and a half since my surgery, and I can happily report that I feel great! I really don’t have any cancer related issues, and believe me, I know how lucky I am. I’ve been very impressed by Dr. Chan, and the care I’ve received from U of I hospitals and clinics.
My insurance covered all of the costs for the nanoknife and gastrojejunostomy. I didn’t ever see a bill, but an explanation of benefits indicated it to be around $120k, but you should definitely verify that for yourself. I have blue cross/blue shield.
I have scans and bloodwork every 3 months. The scans continue to look good, and my CA 19-9 has been holding steady around 17.
Best of luck to you!! If you have any questions I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask!

REPLY
1 reply
onlyjane | @onlyjane | Nov 1 8:36pm
In reply to @tiffboss "Hi! It has been about a year and a half since my surgery, and I can..." + (show)
@tiffboss

Hi! It has been about a year and a half since my surgery, and I can happily report that I feel great! I really don’t have any cancer related issues, and believe me, I know how lucky I am. I’ve been very impressed by Dr. Chan, and the care I’ve received from U of I hospitals and clinics.
My insurance covered all of the costs for the nanoknife and gastrojejunostomy. I didn’t ever see a bill, but an explanation of benefits indicated it to be around $120k, but you should definitely verify that for yourself. I have blue cross/blue shield.
I have scans and bloodwork every 3 months. The scans continue to look good, and my CA 19-9 has been holding steady around 17.
Best of luck to you!! If you have any questions I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask!

Jump to this post

Thank you soooo much for your response. I really would love to talk to you if there is any way I could call you or you could call me. I have no problem giving you my phone number. Are you on Facebook? My name is Jane. What is yours?

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1 reply
tiffboss | @tiffboss | Nov 2 1:41pm
In reply to @onlyjane "Thank you soooo much for your response. I really would love to talk to you if..." + (show)
@onlyjane

Thank you soooo much for your response. I really would love to talk to you if there is any way I could call you or you could call me. I have no problem giving you my phone number. Are you on Facebook? My name is Jane. What is yours?

Jump to this post

Hi Jane, my name is Tiffany Bossen. I am on Facebook and I would be happy to talk to you! Send me your info on messenger and I’ll give you a call.

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supertina | @supertina | Nov 7 9:10am
In reply to @tiffboss "Wishing you all the best!! My NanoKnife was in May, 2023 and I still have no..." + (show)
@tiffboss

Wishing you all the best!! My NanoKnife was in May, 2023 and I still have no signs of any active cancer cells. I’m incredibly thankful.

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Who did your Nanoknife? Did you have a metal biliary stent at the time of the surgery?

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1 reply
tiffboss | @tiffboss | Nov 7 3:53pm
In reply to @supertina "Who did your Nanoknife? Did you have a metal biliary stent at the time of the..." + (show)
@supertina

Who did your Nanoknife? Did you have a metal biliary stent at the time of the surgery?

Jump to this post

My surgery was done by Dr. Carlos Chan at the University of Iowa Hospital. I did not have any stents.

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