Elisha Hospital in Haifa will soon begin implementing Israeli startup IceCure’s treatments for eliminating benign breast tumors and cancerous kidney tumors – by freezing and with no surgery!
By: United with Israel Staff
(With files from IceCure)
IceCure, an Israeli startup, announced Wednesday that it will begin commercial treatment for the first time in Israel in the coming month on patients with benign breast tumors and cancerous kidney tumors, using the ProSense system, developed at Elisha Medical Center, a private hospital in Haifa.
Treatment of the breast will be performed by Dr. Rafi Klein – head of Breast Surgery at Elisha hospital and Rambam Medical Center – in his clinic at Elisha hospital for patients with fibroadenoma type benign tumors of up to five centimeters in diameter as an alternative to surgery. In its plans for the future, the hospital also plans to perform these treatments on patients with cancerous breast tumors.
Kidney treatment will be performed by Prof. Ofer Nativ, head of Urology at Haifa’s Bnai Zion Medical Center and Elisha hospital, and Dr. Robert Sachner, head of Interventional Radiology at both hospitals.
IceCure recently reported successful results in a vast breast cancer trial, which reflected a very low percentage of recurrence of the disease after treatment using ProSense, which lasts for between 20 and 40 minutes in a clinic – without the need for surgery.
The trial, conducted in 18 clinics in the US, included 146 patients with low risk breast cancer, with only one patient showing a recurrence; 76% of patients returned to full daily activities 48 hours after the treatment, while 95% of patients and doctors reported satisfaction with the cosmetic results.
Treatment using ProSense is based on a system that streams liquid nitrogen in a closed circuit and then freezes, with a unique needle developed by IceCure, benign and malignant tumors while protecting the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor and eradicating the entire tumor. The treatment of breast tumors uses a minimally invasive approach that allows swift recovery with no scars.
The treatment lasts about 20-40 minutes in a medical clinic, without surgery, hospitalization or stitches and without changing the shape or size of the breast. After treatment, the patient is able to return quickly to daily activities. Follow-up of the lesion is similar to follow-up after surgical removal.
“We are delighted with the start of commercial treatment in Israel of breast and kidney tumors, which represents acknowledgement by the medical establishment in Israel that our technology is an alternative that makes unnecessary the need for surgery and cutting open the breast,” IceCure Medical CEO Eyal Shamir stated.”
Dr. Shlomo Israelit, director-general of Elisha, said the institution “is proud to be the first hospital leading medical progress in the field of alternative treatment to surgery for benign breast tumors and cancerous tumors in the kidneys….
“Elisha Hospital welcomes IceCure’s leadership of a revolution in the field and wishes us success on our common path towards good, proper and progressive medicine for all patients.”