A prototype device for microwave radiation cancer treatment has been developed
Russian scientists have developed the country's first prototype of a system that allows for the non-surgical destruction of tumors using microwave radiation. An application for product registration with Roszdravnadzor is planned to be submitted in 2026, TASS reports, citing project head Fyodor Kochetov.
"Such tools already exist in the world, but not in Russia, so the first task we are solving is import substitution. Our prototype has already successfully passed laboratory tests," the agency's interlocutor said.
The system includes an antenna connected to a microwave generator. The antenna is inserted into the tumor and emits electromagnetic energy. This energy is delivered directly to the tissues, ensuring localized heating.
The emitted energy causes water molecules to heat up. Water molecules transfer energy to the surrounding tissue, and when a sufficiently high temperature is reached, destruction occurs.
The peculiarity of the technology is that microwave energy is directed at the area containing the tumor tissue, so healthy tissues and vital structures outside the specified area are not subjected to excessive thermal damage.
The main tumors for which the device can be used include breast cancer, thyroid cancer, as well as neoplasms in the lungs, kidneys, and liver. The duration of surgery using such a device is 20 minutes, compared to an hour for tumor removal using open surgery.
In addition, among the advantages of the system
For the first time in Russia, the microwave ablation method for removing pancreatic and parathyroid tumors was applied at the N. N. Burdenko Clinic of Faculty Surgery of Sechenov University. "The main advantage of ablation is its minimally invasive nature, where access to the tumor is achieved without an incision, only through punctures. After the surgery, an excellent cosmetic effect is achieved: there are practically no traces of intervention. Ablation does not take as much time as a full-fledged surgery; the tumor is effectively "evaporated," and its destruction is achieved in literally a few minutes," Maxim Saliba, Associate Professor at the Department of Faculty Surgery No. 1 of Sechenov University, told TASS.
The project was presented during the demonstration of developments by the winners of the "A:START" acceleration program for aspiring entrepreneurs and technology startups, which is organized by the business incubator team of the Novosibirsk Technopark "Akademparc." Kochetov added that the developments within the startup are being carried out with the participation of scientists from Sechenov University, Novosibirsk State University, institutes of Siberian Akademgorodok, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow. The project authors expect to launch the device on the Russian market in 2029 and on the international market in 2032.