title: Irreversible electroporation: state of the art.
abstract: The field of focal ablative therapy for the treatment of cancer is characterized by abundance of thermal ablative techniques that provide a minimally invasive treatment option in selected tumors. However, the unselective destruction inflicted by thermal ablation modalities can result in damage to vital structures in the vicinity of the tumor. Furthermore, the efficacy of thermal ablation intensity can be impaired due to thermal sink caused by large blood vessels in the proximity of the tumor. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel ablation modality based on the principle of electroporation or electropermeabilization, in which electric pulses are used to create nanoscale defects in the cell membrane. In theory, IRE has the potential of overcoming the aforementioned limitations of thermal ablation techniques. This review provides a description of the principle of IRE, combined with an overview of in vivo research performed to date in the liver, pancreas, kidney, and prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter Gk
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buijs
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willemien
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van den Bos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Bruin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zondervan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jean Jmch
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: de la Rosette
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M Pilar
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Laguna Pes
keywords: IRE; ablation; cancer; focal therapy; irreversible electroporation; tumor