Methods for treating cancerous tumors
Inventors
Agah, Ramtin • Najmabadi, Kamran • BAGAI, Shaun R.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10695543-B2
Publication Date
2020-06-30
Expiration Date
Abstract
Apparatuses and methods described herein relate to treating cancerous tumors using radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In some embodiments, a method of treatment includes administering radiation therapy targeting a tumor, isolating a segment of a vessel proximate to the tumor, and administering a dose of a chemotherapeutic agent to the segment of the vessel. The method can further include waiting a period of time after administering the radiation therapy before administering the dose of the chemotherapeutic agent. In some embodiments, a catheter device including first and second occluding elements can be used to isolate the segment of the vessel.
Core Innovation
The invention addresses cancer by devascularizing a target area including a tumor to reduce the microvasculature in the target area through administering a dose of radiation to the target area. By reducing the microvasculature, the tumor region is treated in a way intended to change conditions in the target area so that subsequent agent delivery can be applied to the devascularized region.
After devascularizing the target area, a catheter device is inserted into a vessel to isolate a segment of the vessel proximate to the target area. The catheter device includes a first occluder and a second occluder, and isolation of the vessel segment is performed using the first occluder and the second occluder, so that an agent can be delivered from the isolated segment via the catheter device to the devascularized target area.
In one described approach, an intraluminal pressure of the segment is decreased to a level of pressure of an interstitial space between the vessel and the target area, and then the intraluminal pressure is increased to greater than the pressure of the interstitial space to support delivery of the agent to the devascularized target area. This pressure-management delivery approach is combined with radiation devascularization to enable targeted delivery from the isolated vessel segment into the tumor-containing target area.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent method claims. Each independent claim centers on radiation devascularization of a tumor-containing target area followed by catheter-based agent delivery from a vessel segment proximate to the target area, with occluder-based isolation in some claims and pressure-management between intraluminal and interstitial pressure conditions in another claim.
Radiation devascularization of a tumor-containing target area to reduce microvasculature
devascularizing a target area including a tumor to reduce the microvasculature in the target area by administering a dose of radiation to the target area
Catheter-based isolation of a proximate vessel segment using first and second occluders
inserting a catheter device into a vessel, the catheter device including a first occluder and a second occluder; isolating a segment of the vessel proximate to the target area using the first occluder and the second occluder
Delivering an agent dose to the devascularized target area from the isolated segment via the catheter device
delivering a dose of an agent to the devascularized target area from the isolated segment via the catheter device
Pressure-management delivery between intraluminal pressure and interstitial-space pressure
decreasing an intraluminal pressure of the segment to a level of pressure of an interstitial space between the vessel and the target area; and delivering a dose of an agent to the devascularized target area from the isolated segment via a catheter device while increasing the intraluminal pressure to greater than the pressure of the interstitial space between the vessel and the target area
Across the independent claims, the inventive subject matter is a combined regimen where radiation is administered to devascularize a tumor-containing target area and reduce microvasculature, followed by catheter-based delivery of an agent from an isolated vessel segment proximate to the target area. The independent claims differ in the specified mechanism for enabling delivery: some rely on occluder-based vessel isolation, while another adds decreasing intraluminal pressure to interstitial-space pressure followed by increasing intraluminal pressure to greater than interstitial-space pressure during delivery.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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