A Pilot Single Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Utility and Efficacy of Neutral Argon Plasma as a New Technology in Achieving Complete Cytoreduction of Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma- Initial Feasibility Study

Surgery for ovarian cancer involves a big cut on your tummy (abdomen) followed by removal of pelvic organs (womb, tubes and ovaries), abdominal organs (fat tissue {omentum}, appendix) and any other tissues involved with cancer. Several studies worldwide have reported that women survive longer and enjoy a longer disease free interval before their disease returns if all visible disease is removed at the time of their surgery. Achieving this is not easy and often there is widespread disease and the surgeons are unable to remove every tumour nodule present as it is attached to the surface of the bowel, diaphragm and other important Extensive surgery with prolonged operating is associated with higher risks. Plasma energy is commonly referred to as the 4th state of matter after solid, liquid and gas. When a gas is heated, it partially or wholly ionizes resulting in high energy particles like ions, electrons and atoms referred to as 'plasma'. PlasmaJet® (PJ) is a new device which uses fine jet of neutral argon plasma from the handpiece that has been shown to have the ability to vaporise nodules close to sensitive organs like the bowel. It may offer the potential to treat the tumour nodules close to sensitive areas like the bowel. There have been no studies exploring its role in vaporising tumour nodules and its impact on survival. The PJ may be used by the surgeon to seal bleeding tissues (coagulate) or to burn away thin layers of tissue (ablate) by vaporization. It is licensed for use to achieve effects of coagulation and ablation. It is similar to conventional surgical devices that are routinely used (called diathermy) to achieve these effects. The PJ however is slightly different in that it may also be used on tissue to vaporise tumour nodules in women with ovarian cancer during surgery though the full extent of this role remains unclear.