Clinical studies on a novel radiation therapy on cancer treatment have begun at Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai No.6 People's Hospital after the treatment proved successful on animals.
Guidelines developed from the study will be promoted across the nation.
The minimally invasive therapy involves using electromagnetic waves to first freeze the cancer and then to heat it. The process can destroy cancer cells as well as activating patients' own immunity against cancer relapse and transformation, experts said.
Traditional cancer treatment is surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But many patients cannot receive surgery due to their physical condition and the location of the cancer, while radiotherapy and chemotherapy often cause a strong adverse reaction.
"It is the first therapy that uses a regional treatment targeting the cancer but also enables patients to develop their own immunity," said Xu Xuemin from Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Biomedical Engineering, who is head of the study.
"Patients with cancer are usually those with abnormal or poor immunity. Improving patients' own immunity can achieve longer and better anti-cancer effects than outside stimulators like drug and chemotherapy. Animal study has shown very promising results."
Led by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the clinical study, which is looking at liver cancer in particular, will research 200 volunteer patients over three years. Participating patients will receive free treatment.
If the study proves a success, it can be introduced to more patients and used to cover more types of cancer, said Dr Li Wentao from Shanghai Cancer Center.