LUNG CANCER TREATMENT WITH CONDENSABLE VAPOR AND THERAPEUTIC AGENT
A method of treating a lung tumor or metastasis comprising forming a condensable vapor comprising water and a therapeutic agent and delivering the vapor and therapeutic agent to a target tissue in a region of a patient's lung. The therapeutic agent may be chemotherapy drug. In embodiments, vapor ablation is combined with systemic therapy.
1 . A method of treating a lung tumor or metastasis comprising forming a condensable vapor comprising water and a therapeutic agent and delivering the vapor and therapeutic agent to a target tissue in a region of a patient's lung.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising condensing the vapor to ablate the target tissue.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising stimulating an immune response with the condensable vapor.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the therapeutic agent is a chemotherapy drug.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the therapeutic agent is an immunotherapy agent.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the therapeutic agent is a checkpoint inhibitor.
7 . A method of treating a lung tumor or metastasis comprising warming an anatomical margin of the lung tumor or metastasis with a condensable vapor mixture wherein the vapor mixture comprises a therapeutic agent.
8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising heating cells on the anatomical margin to a threshold temperature, wherein the threshold temperature is less than the temperature for inducing tissue coagulation and re-architecture.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the threshold temperature is less than or equal to 100 degrees Celsius.
10 . The method of claim 7 further comprising injuring but not killing cells on the anatomical margin with the vapor mixture and stimulating an immune response against the lung tumor or metastasis.
11 . A method of treating a lung tumor or metastasis comprising delivering a condensable vapor to a target tissue in a region of a patient's lung and providing an additional therapy to the patient for treatment of the tumor or metastasis.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising condensing the vapor to ablate the target tissue.
13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising stimulating an immune response with the condensable vapor.
14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the additional therapy is delivery of a chemotherapy drug.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the additional therapy is delivery of an immunotherapy agent.
16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the additional therapy is delivery of a checkpoint inhibitor.
17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the additional therapy comprises systemic delivery of a therapeutic agent.
18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the therapeutic agent is one agent selected from the group consisting of a chemotherapy drug, immunotherapy agent, and checkpoint inhibitor.
19 . The method of claim 11 wherein the additional therapy comprises local delivery of a therapeutic agent.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the therapeutic agent is a chemotherapy drug.