Philips expands interventional oncology portfolio with EmboGuide to see, reach and treat tumour lesions

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New live 3D image guidance tool enhances tumour embolization procedures on Philips’ interventional X-ray systems.

Philips innovations detect more than twice as many tumour feeding arteries compared to standard DSA, while lesion detection is superior to standard DSA and now comparable to gold standard contrast-enhanced MRI.

Royal Philips announces the launch of EmboGuide, its latest innovation in interventional oncology, to treat difficult-to-reach tumours or tumours in patients who are deemed unsuitable for surgery. EmboGuide is a live 3D image guidance tool that supports the increasing number of minimally-invasive procedures in oncology.  It is designed for use in conjunction with Philips’ interventional X-ray system to perform tumour embolization procedures. Such procedures involve blocking the arteries feeding a tumour to deprive it of nutrients and oxygen. They require the insertion of a catheter, which must be guided to the tumour site with the aid of live image-guidance.

Developed in collaboration with leading clinicians and partners such as BTG, an innovator in interventional oncology, EmboGuide addresses the need for an enhanced 3D imaging solution to make interventional oncology procedures more effective and easier to perform, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. It offers interventional radiologists the ability to visualize and characterize tumour lesions and plan and execute interventional procedures.

“Interventional oncology is a fast growing field that offers clinicians a viable treatment option for patients who are not suitable for surgical tumour removal,” says Gene Saragnese, CEO Imaging Systems at Philips Healthcare. “Together with our partners, we will leverage our combined expertise in image-guided interventions and therapies to accelerate this transformation from surgical procedures to minimally-invasive treatments in oncology.”

A specific example of a tumour embolization procedure is transarterial chemo-embolization (TACE), used for palliative treatment of liver tumours. It involves simultaneous local administration of chemotherapy and beads that block the arteries feeding the liver tumour.

“We can only treat what we see, yet the embolization of all blood vessels that feed the liver tumour lesion is key for an effective TACE procedure,” says Shiro Miyayama, MD, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Fukuiken Saisekai Hospital, Japan. “EmboGuide’s live 3D image guidance helps to improve the technical success of the procedure, as it can automatically identify the small tumour-feeders that are difficult to detect with conventional 2D angiographic imaging methods.”

See EmboGuide leverages the ultra-low X-ray dose settings of Philips’ AlluraClarity interventional X-ray system and the fast, high quality imaging of the abdomen of XperCT Dual. XperCT Dual’s enhanced imaging technique (multiphase cone beam CT) offers high quality 3D images of lesions, with proven detection accuracy superior to conventional 2D angiographic imaging. It offers clinicians a better view of the treatment targets for informed decision making while performing the procedure. XperCT Dual is comparable to MRI, which is considered to be the ‘gold standard’.

Reach EmboGuide helps to define the tumour lesions and features automatic identification of blood vessels that feed the lesions. It detects more than twice as many tumour feeding arteries compared to conventional imaging methods (Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA). This allows interventional radiologists to optimize the catheter locations for embolization and plan a route to them. During the administration of the embolization agent, EmboGuide accurately superimposes the planning information onto the interventional X-ray system’s live images to monitor the treatment progress and determine its endpoint.

Treat “In the treatment of intermediate HCC, the integrated use of our embolic device with image guidance is vital for successful treatment,” says Mike Motion, BTG General Manager, Interventional Oncology.  “As a leader in interventional oncology, we invest to improve the safety and efficacy of the procedure. Partnering with Philips has strengthened our ability to further develop this cohesive approach using DC Bead and Philips’ EmboGuide with the ultimate objective of advancing interventional oncology.”

The launch of EmboGuide is a result of Philips’ global investment in Healthcare R&D, which amounted to a total of EUR 780 million in 2013. It highlights Philips’ commitment to interventional oncology – a rapidly developing market with a compound annual growth rate of around 15%.

Philips’ EmboGuide is on display at the Asia-Pacific Congress of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology (APCCVIR) in Singapore from 15-18 May 2014. At the congress, Miyayama shares his experiences with EmboGuide in a scientific presentation titled ‘Lesion detection and feeding Vessel identification in HCC with XperCT Dual and EmboGuide’.

EmboGuide is currently not available in the USA.