New York City— An innovative cancer treatment made of luminescent chemotherapy-filled beads injected into tumors through the wrist is now available for patients with inoperable and difficult-to-treat liver cancer. The Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH) has become the first in the country to offer the minimally invasive treatment using the M1 LUMI™ Bead loaded with doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent. 

The M1 LUMI™ beads were designed with technology that allows for real time tracking of the bead’s location during embolization procedure. During the procedure, interventional radiologists use a catheter to thread the beads into the blood vessels that lead to the tumor. Doctors can see where the beads are placed and confirm its placement will block the blood flow feeding the tumor, causing it to shrink over time. The device was approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2015. Mount Sinai participated in comprehensive clinical evaluation of the LUMI™ Beads. 

"This is a game-changing tool,” said Edward Kim, MD, Director of Interventional Oncology and Associate Professor of Radiology and Surgery in the Division of Interventional Radiology at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “In the past, we had no way to verify where the beads were placed in the blood vessels or whether they remained in the intended location over time. Now we can see the location, and adjust if a portion of the tumor has been missed while the patient is on the table without repeating the procedure. This is what we call precision targeting of tumors."

Liver cancer is one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers, with few useful surgical or therapeutic options. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for nearly 746,000 deaths each year. Mount Sinai’s Liver Cancer Program is a pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer. The Program is on the forefront of the most advanced surgical techniques; interventional treatment protocols; and surveillance programs for patients at risk for developing liver cancer.

"This new tool exemplifies precision medicine and is a new standard of care in cancer treatment. This is a very exciting time in cancer research and treatment,” Dr. Kim said.

Video of Dr. Edward Kim performing this cancer procedure can be found at this link: https://youtu.be/p3YhamjV-yU.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research, and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services—from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 6,100 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 “Best Hospitals” issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.

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