Delivering Chemotherapy Directly to the Tumor: Inside TAMP Technology

CURE recently visited Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) to speak with Dr. Gregory Tiesi about Trans Arterial Microperfusion, or TAMP technology, and what it could mean for the future of pancreatic cancer treatment.

Why new options are needed in pancreatic cancer

Dr. Tiesi explained that pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat. Many patients are diagnosed with tumors that involve critical blood vessels or nearby structures, making surgery unsafe or impossible. Treatment typically begins with systemic chemotherapy, which travels throughout the entire body. After several months, patients are reassessed for surgery, but only a small number experience enough tumor shrinkage to make surgery possible. Radiation can help control the tumor locally, but it often does not significantly reduce its size.

For patients who have completed chemotherapy and radiation but are not eligible for surgery, options have historically been limited. TAMP was developed to address that gap.

How TAMP works

The procedure delivers chemotherapy directly into the blood vessels feeding the tumor using a catheter inserted through the groin, similar to a cardiac catheterization. By targeting the tumor directly, doctors can increase the concentration of chemotherapy within the cancer while limiting how much of the drug circulates through the rest of the body. This targeted approach may reduce side effects compared with traditional chemotherapy.

Although the procedure is typically performed every two weeks, Dr. Tiesi said patients have tolerated it well. Many report improved quality of life after stopping systemic therapy and transitioning to TAMP, noting that they feel less burdened by treatment while still actively addressing their disease.

Who may benefit and what comes next

Currently, the strongest evidence for TAMP is in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who have already received chemotherapy and radiation. Radiation plays an important role by helping the chemotherapy remain concentrated within the tumor. Researchers are also studying whether TAMP could help patients who are planning to undergo surgery, particularly when tumors involve high-risk structures or when there is concern about microscopic cancer cells remaining after surgery.

Dr. Tiesi noted that advances in treatment have helped patients live longer, but that also means more individuals eventually exhaust standard options or need a break from systemic therapy. TAMP offers another potential approach, allowing patients to continue treatment while maintaining quality of life and potentially bridging time until new therapies become available.

As technology advances, he believes targeted drug delivery approaches like TAMP could represent a more precise way to treat cancer, delivering medication exactly where it is needed rather than exposing the entire body to treatment. While progress takes time, incremental innovations continue to move care forward for patients with pancreatic cancer.

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