Irreversible electroporation ablation against subcutaneously implanted VX2 tumors in rabbits: findings of shearwave ultrasound elastography
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Published on: September 12, 2019
Rui Chen1, Sheng Li2, Limei Wu3
1Attending Doctor, Department of Ultrasound, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate stiffness changes of rabbit subcutaneous VX2 tumors before and after irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablationby shearwave ultrasound elastography (SWE).
Methods:
IRE was performed on 20 subcutaneously implanted VX2 tumors in rabbits (R-SIVX2). Tumor stiffness was measured by SWE at different time points (before IRE,120minutes after IRE,7 days after IRE and 14 days after IRE).
Results:
Before IRE, the mean stiffness (Emean) of tumors was (10.45 ± 1.07) KPa. 120 minutes after I RE, the Emean of tumors obviously rose to (70.53 ± 9.87) KPa. 7 days after IRE, the Emean of tumors decreased to (40.22 ± 9.01) KPa. 14 days after IRE, the Emean of tumors was (15.17 ± 1.00) KPa. A clear boundary was observed between the ablation area and the normal tissues in the pathological results.
Conclusions:
The stiffness of the VX2 tumors experienced a first rise process and tend to be normal in the procedure of IRE. SWE could provide tissue stiffness information of different IRE ablation period as a non-invasive method.
Insights
Irreversible electroporation (IRE) in VX2 tumors causes a temporary increase in stiffness, measured by shearwave ultrasound elastography (SWE), before returning to normal levels. This non-invasive method tracks stiffness changes during IRE ablation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Imaging
- Biophysics
Background:
- VX2 tumors are a common model for studying tumor ablation.
- Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is an effective tumor ablation technique.
- Shearwave ultrasound elastography (SWE) non-invasively measures tissue stiffness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in VX2 tumor stiffness before and after irreversible electroporation (IRE) ablation.
- To assess the utility of shearwave ultrasound elastography (SWE) in monitoring IRE treatment.
- To characterize the temporal changes in tumor stiffness following IRE.
Main Methods:
- VX2 tumors were implanted subcutaneously in rabbits.
- IRE was performed on 20 VX2 tumors.
- Tumor stiffness was measured using SWE at baseline, 120 minutes, 7 days, and 14 days post-IRE.
Main Results:
- Mean tumor stiffness (Emean) increased significantly from 10.45 ± 1.07 KPa before IRE to 70.53 ± 9.87 KPa at 120 minutes post-IRE.
- Tumor stiffness decreased to 40.22 ± 9.01 KPa at 7 days and 15.17 ± 1.00 KPa at 14 days post-IRE.
- Pathological examination revealed a clear boundary between the ablated area and normal tissue.
Conclusions:
- Tumor stiffness following IRE exhibits an initial rise and subsequent normalization.
- SWE is a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing tissue stiffness during different stages of IRE ablation.
- These findings contribute to understanding the biophysical changes induced by IRE in tumors.
