A First on Long Island: INUMI Immunotherapy Treatment for Cancer

Good Samaritan University Hospital is at the forefront of cancer care, using next-generation immunotherapies, a treatment that stimulates the body’s immune system, to treat tumors. Sharad Chandrika, MD, an Interventional Pulmonologist at Good Samaritan University Hospital, is one of several Catholic health physicians using this breakthrough approach with positive outcomes.

“We recently treated a patient in his mid-80s with a lung mass,” explained Dr. Chandrika. “Following the comprehensive review and discussion of our multidisciplinary tumor board, my colleague Dr. Ashish Sangal from medical oncology began treating him with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.”

A follow-up PET/CT scan of the patient, 84-year-old Santi (John) Chille of Bellmore, revealed that the initial treatment failed to shrink the lung tumors and that the cancer had spread to his liver. Given his advanced age, he and his family agreed with his medical team to forego additional chemotherapy.

“We decided the best course was to administer a new form of therapy,” said Dr. Chandrika. “Galvanize/Aliya® therapy is a minimally-invasive method of triggering an immune response in tumor cells using pulsed electric field therapies, or PEF. We use the INUMI Flex Needle to deliver high-voltage, high-frequency electrical currents endoscopically to the target lesion. The PEF energy causes non-thermal cell death while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.”

Mr. Chille was enthusiastic about being the first patient on Long Island to undergo this procedure.

“The way it was explained to us, it would not cause the types of side effects that my dad experienced with chemotherapy,” said Mr. Chille’s daughter, Pamela Bergin. “The approach is similar to the bronchoscopy that Dr. Chandrika had already performed, so it is non-invasive, allowing him to be in and out of the hospital in one day.”

Mr. Chille felt well enough to resume his normal activities the day after the procedure. “My dad has always taken good care of himself. He is in great shape,” Ms. Bergin said. She credits his underlying good health with his ability to tolerate the procedure well with very few side effects.

A follow-up PET scan will reveal whether the Galvanize/Aliya treatment has been effective in shrinking the tumors in Mr. Chille’s lungs. Meanwhile, his extended family, including nieces, nephews, and their children, is planning a party to celebrate his 85th birthday, featuring his favorite traditional Italian dishes.

“What we love about Dr. Sangal and Good Samaritan is that they prioritize my dad’s quality of life,” said Ms. Bergin. “So, while they explain all of his treatment options, they make sure to emphasize those that will give him a better quality of life.”

For Mr. Chille, quality of life means that he can look forward to spending more time with his family and cultivating the large vegetable garden and fruit trees that grow in his yard each year.
Oncologists at Good Samaritan are encouraged by the potential benefits of Galvanize/Aliya therapy and plan to employ this breakthrough treatment for other patients with solid tumors like those seen in lung cancer.

“This innovative technique is unlike anything we’ve seen,” said Dr. Chandrika. “All of us at Good Samaritan University Hospital are excited to be among the first to offer this promising new technology.”

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