EUS-Guided Chemoablation of Pre-Cancerous Pancreatic Cysts

Penn State University Background
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies and has a dismal five-year survival rate of ~10%. At least 20% of pancreatic malignancies stem from the progression of mucinous-type pancreatic cysts, found incidentally in 2% of adults. Until recently, the only widely accepted approaches to managing mucinous pancreatic cysts were indefinite radiographic surveillance or major surgery, both of which have significant limitations. EUS-guided ablation offers an alternative, but there are no devices specific to this procedure, and equipment often bends, leaks, or fails due to the required pressures or reaction of the chemotherapy agents with incompatible materials. A standardized device for enabling EUS-guided chemoablation could significantly increase adoption of the procedure and ultimately reduce the number of mucinous cysts that progress to pancreatic cancer.
Technology Overview
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided chemoablation is an innovative, minimally invasive, and rapidly evolving technique that can be used for treatment of mucinous (precancerous) type pancreatic cysts, but there is currently no standardized device available to provide reliable and safe infusion of the chemoablation agent. Penn State researchers have developed an innovative fluid delivery device for use in EUS-guided chemoablation that can provide standard pressure and agent delivery to efficiently infuse the viscous chemotherapy into the pancreatic cysts without device leakage or failure.
Stage of Development
Technology Readiness Level 3