Williams Cancer Institute

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Lung cancer · Interventional immuno-oncology

When standard immunotherapy can’t see your lung cancer, we take the treatment inside the tumor.

For lung cancer that cannot be operated on, has spread, or has stopped responding — we destroy the tumor through a needle and wake the immune system to fight the rest.

Personalized

Minimally invasive

Immune-activating

Outpatient

In plain terms

What we do, in three paragraphs.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and some subtypes — like EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma — are “immune-quiet,” meaning standard IV immunotherapy often does not work well against them. Our approach treats the tumor directly: in one outpatient session, through a single needle, ablation plus intratumoral immunotherapy.
Many lung tumors are “cold” — hard for your immune system to see. Breaking the tumor open with PEF spills out its hidden “fingerprints” and turns it “hot”. Injecting immunotherapy into that same spot turns your tumor into a personalized vaccine — AblationVax — with the goal of triggering the abscopal effect: an immune response that can reach other tumor sites throughout the body.
This works alongside your current care: we coordinate with your oncologist and your chemo, radiation, or targeted-therapy team. It is designed for non-surgical, locally advanced, or oligometastatic lung cancer, or disease progressing despite chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.
One needle, one session: ablation plus immunotherapy delivered where the cancer lives.
AblationVax: the treated tumor teaches your immune system to attack cancer body-wide.
Real outcomes

Stage IV patients achieving durable responses.

For patients whose disease has progressed on chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy, standard care often shifts toward symptom management. We are seeing something different: stage IV lung cancer patients achieving durable systemic responses — including cases where IV checkpoint blockade had stopped working.

Individual results vary. These outcomes represent specific patient cases and are not guaranteed for all patients.

Where our approach fits

Treatment options by stage.

Find your diagnosis below to see what standard care offers, where we add to it, and what role our approach plays.

Early (stage I–II), non-surgical

Standard care
NCCN includes ablation for medically inoperable stage I NSCLC.
What we add
We add intratumoral immunotherapy to ablation to prime systemic immunity.
Curative-intent + priming

Locally advanced (stage III)

Standard care
Concurrent chemoradiation ± durvalumab.
What we add
PEF + immunotherapy as an addition for selected cases with safely accessible tumor sites.
Adjunct to standard care

Oligometastatic

Standard care
Disease confined to a few sites.
What we add
Local control of all sites combined with immune activation may extend disease-free intervals.
Local + systemic strategy
Our primary focus

Stage IV / progression on standard

Standard care
Progressing despite chemo, checkpoint inhibitor, or targeted therapy.
What we add
Re-engage immunity through intratumoral delivery.

Repeated systemic exposure creates T-cell exhaustion — we engage fresh effector cells at the site of the antigen.

Systemic immune activation
Beyond ablation alone

Destroy the tumor, then teach your immune system to finish the job.

Standard approaches
Our approach — AblationVax
Stage I NSCLC ablation as surgical alternative — local only.
Local destruction + intratumoral immunotherapy → systemic immune activation + memory.
IV pembrolizumab: standard systemic exposure.
Delivered directly into the tumor rather than through the bloodstream. The aim is to concentrate treatment at the tumor site and limit whole-body exposure.
Thermal damage near vessels limits the target list.
Non-thermal PEF safely treats vessel-encased and central tumors.

Why this approach for lung cancer?

Treats tumors near critical structures

Non-thermal PEF is safe for tumors near the heart, mediastinum, brachial plexus, pulmonary vessels, or chest wall where thermal ablation risks burn injury.

Converts “cold” lung tumors into “hot” targets

EGFR-mutant and KRAS G12C adenocarcinomas are often immune-excluded. Ablation releases antigens; intratumoral immunotherapy amplifies the signal.

Aims for systemic response

The investigational goal is to determine whether single-tumor PEF plus intratumoral immunotherapy can produce responses at untreated metastatic sites, and lasting immune memory rather than local control alone.

Lung-specific breakthrough

Targeting immune escape in driver-mutated and cold lung tumors.

“EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma is one of the most immune-quiet subtypes in oncology — standard IV checkpoint inhibition often fails. We approach it differently: ablate the tumor to expose antigens, then deliver the immune stimulation directly inside the tumor bed.”

— Dr. Jason R. Williams

CpG / TLR9 agonists

Activation directly inside the lung tumor creates the type-I interferon response that EGFR- and KRAS-mutated tumors typically lack — one of the stronger tools for turning a cold tumor hot.

Costimulatory agonists

OX40, CD40, and 4-1BB “step on the gas” for T-cells that ablation has just exposed to tumor antigens; checkpoint blockade removes the brakes. Not yet clinically validated as a combination.

The combination

CpG, OX40 / CD40 agonists, and checkpoint inhibitors delivered together intratumorally — we’re seeing systemic responses in patients who had progressed on every standard option.

“Driver-mutated lung cancers were the patients I felt least able to help with conventional immunotherapy. Intratumoral delivery has changed that calculus.” — Dr. Williams

Beyond the procedure: whole-patient support.

We optimize your entire system for the best possible response — and coordinate with the team you already have.

Gut microbiome optimization

Diet, probiotics, and related therapies to support a stronger immunotherapy response.

Off-label protocols

Strategic use of repurposed medications to enhance immune response.

Personalized cocktails

Multi-agent immunotherapy tailored to your specific cancer.

Oncologist coordination

We work alongside your current chemo and radiation team.

What to expect

Your path to treatment.

1

Case review

We review your CT chest, PET, brain MRI, and biomarker reports (PD-L1, EGFR, ALK, ROS1, KRAS, and others).

2

Protocol design

A personalized cocktail tuned to your tumor’s immune profile and driver mutations.

3

Procedure week

Image-guided PEF ablation of the accessible tumor + intratumoral injection through the same needle. Outpatient.

4

Follow-up

Imaging at 6–8 weeks, coordination with your home oncology team, repeat procedures as indicated.

Procedure ~1 hour

Recovery ~2 hours

All outpatient

Is this right for you?

You may be a candidate if:

✓Stage I–II NSCLC, medically inoperable
✓Stage III with a safely accessible tumor target
✓Stage IV progressing on chemo + checkpoint inhibitor
✓Driver-mutant disease progressing on targeted therapy
✓Oligometastatic disease with limited progressing sites
✓Tumor near critical structures where thermal ablation is unsafe

It may not be suitable if:

—Severe COPD or pulmonary fibrosis (FEV1/DLCO too low)
—Active severe infection
—Uncorrectable bleeding disorders
—Very poor performance status (ECOG ≥ 3)
—Diffuse metastatic pattern without a focal target

Each case is individually evaluated by Dr. Williams’ team.

Track record

Pioneering lung cancer innovation.

2008

Cryoablation for thoracic tumors

Image-guided ablation of lung and chest tumors.

2014

Cryoablation + intratumoral Yervoy / Opdivo

The AblationVax concept applied to thoracic disease.

2015

OX40 / CpG research and combination protocols

Yervoy / Opdivo / CpG / PV-10 combinations reported.

Now

Multi-agent intratumoral protocols

OX40 / CD40 / CpG / checkpoint combinations for driver-mutant and chemo-resistant lung cancer.

Ready to move forward?

There is more ahead. Take the next step with confidence.

Complimentary evaluation.

Dr. Williams’ team will personally review your case and imaging — no cost, no obligation.

Or email info@williamscancerinstitute.com

Beverly Hills · San Jose del Cabo · Mexico City — most patients complete treatment in one week

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