Cancer Ablation by Water Vapor
Tough on Cancer. Gentle on Patients.
water vapor technology
Convective water vapor energy technology is a platform to treat a variety of endourological conditions beginning with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), which was cleared by FDA in 2015 and launched soon thereafter as the Rezūm® System.
The technology applies the thermal energy stored in sterile water vapor to convectively deliver targeted, precise treatments to the cancerous tissue in a simple transurethral procedure. Clinical studies treating prostate cancer patients outside the U.S. have shown excellent treatment effect and safety outcomes.
This completely new treatment for prostate cancer is also gentle on the patient. Following the treatment, patients typically go home with no hospital stay and most are back to their regular lifestyle the next day, while traditional prostate cancer treatments entail surgical treatment, a hospital stay, and potential side effects significantly impacting quality of life.
water vapor technology
Convective water vapor energy technology is a platform to treat a variety of endourological conditions beginning with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), which was cleared by FDA in 2015 and launched soon thereafter as the Rezūm® System. The technology applies the thermal energy stored in sterile water vapor to convectively deliver targeted treatments to the cancerous prostate tissue in a simple transurethral procedure.
Types of Cancer
PROSTATE CANCER
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers incurred by men in the United States (US) and is a major public health issue. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2019 there will be 174,650 new cases, and 31,620 deaths attributed to prostate cancer in the US. Although the disease-specific mortality rates continue to decline, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, and currently there are nearly 2.9 million American men living with the disease1.
In approximately 90 percent of men with prostate cancer, the disease is considered to be confined to the prostate gland (clinically localized disease), and half of the US men diagnosed annually with localized prostate cancer meet the American Urological Association’s (AUA’s) “low risk”. Many of these men and their physicians would prefer a less invasive, localized treatment of the cancer versus the traditional removal (radical prostatectomy) or radiation of the entire prostate.
KIDNEY CANCER
According to the Kidney Cancer Association, 66,340 people in the United States will be diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2019, and 14,970 will die from the disease2. At least one genetic disorder, called von Hippel-Lindau disease, is associated with a high risk of kidney cancer. However, most risk factors are similar to other cancer types. These factors include smoking and obesity. Symptoms of kidney cancer may include blood in the urine, an abdominal mass, and back or flank pain.
Early detection can improve prognosis. Treatment for kidney cancer varies depending on whether the cancer has metastasized (spread) or is localized to the kidney. Kidney cancer is most often treated with surgery, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of these treatments. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are occasionally used3.
BLADDER CANCER
It is estimated that there will be 80,470 new cases of bladder cancer (about 61,700 in men and 18,770 in women) will occur in the US in 2019. Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men. About half of all bladder cancers are first found while the cancer is still found only in the inner layer of the bladder wall. About 1 in 3 bladder cancers have spread into deeper layers but are still only in the bladder. As with most types of cancer the risk of bladder cancer increases with age, and average age of diagnosis of bladder cancer is 734.
Standard treatment options for bladder cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. The type of treatment chosen can vary depending on the specific type and stage of the cancer.