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Procedure 1 · Flagship — AblationVax

PEF Ablation + Immunotherapy

One needle. The tumor is destroyed, then used to teach your immune system.

A non-heat energy destroys the tumor from the inside; immune-activating drugs go into that same spot in the same session.

Personalized

Minimally invasive

Immune-activating

Outpatient

1
Needle, one outpatient session
~14×
Higher drug concentration at day 7 in mice colorectal models, using an anti-mouse CTLA-4 antibody (Meyblum, JITC 2023)
50–90%
Of solid tumors are “cold” — invisible to the immune system
~1 hr
Typical procedure time

In plain terms

What this procedure is, without the jargon.

This is WCI’s flagship procedure — what we call AblationVax. In one outpatient session, through a single needle, two things happen. First, PEF (pulsed electric fields — a non-heat energy) destroys the tumor from the inside; because it uses no heat, it preserves the tumor’s “fingerprints” and can be used safely near major blood vessels. That breaks open a “cold” tumor (one your immune system can’t see) and turns it “hot”.
Second, into that same spot we inject intratumoral immunotherapy — immune-activating drugs delivered straight into the tumor, where they reach far higher local concentration than an IV drip. The drugs work together like a car: checkpoint inhibitors release the brakes on your T-cells, costimulatory agonists (OX40, CD40) step on the gas, and TLR agonists (CpG) turn the ignition.
The result is an in situ vaccine — your own tumor used to train your immune system — aiming for the abscopal effect, where treating one tumor prompts a response against untreated tumors elsewhere. It is our preferred approach for soft-tissue tumors near critical structures and vessel-involved disease.
PEF ablation: pulsed electric fields destroy the tumor without heat, beside vessels heat cannot reach.
The treated tumor teaches your immune system to recognize the cancer body-wide.
How it works

How the two halves work together.

Part 1

Tumor destruction — PEF ablation

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields destroy cells without heat, preserving tumor antigens and triggering immunogenic cell death. That releases tumor-associated and tumor-specific antigens, danger signals (DAMPs), and intracellular proteins — flooding the tumor bed with the signals that summon an immune response.

Part 2

Immune activation — intratumoral immunotherapy

Approved immune drugs, used off-label for injection into the tumor bed through the same needle. Checkpoint inhibitors (Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy) release the brakes on T-cell attack; CpG, GM-CSF, OX40 and CD40 agonists step on the gas and turn the ignition, activating dendritic cells and amplifying immune signaling.

What makes it different

What this adds beyond ablation alone.

Standard approaches
Our approach
Ablation alone: local tumor destruction, no systemic effect.
Local destruction + systemic immune activation and lasting immune memory.
IV immunotherapy: standard systemic exposure, lower tumor concentration.
~14× higher drug concentration at day 7 in mice colorectal models using an anti-mouse CTLA-4 antibody (Meyblum, JITC 2023).
Heat-based ablation denatures proteins and endangers nearby vessels.
Non-thermal PEF preserves antigens and treats safely beside major blood vessels.
Single-agent immune mechanism.
Multi-agent cocktails — brakes, gas and ignition together, tuned to your tumor.

Why this procedure works.

Treats near critical structures

PEF uses electrical pulses, not heat — so tumors wrapped around major vessels can be treated where thermal ablation would cause damage.

Turns cold tumors hot

Most solid tumors hide from the immune system. Destroying the tumor exposes its molecular signature; the injected drugs amplify what the immune system then sees.

Aims at cancer everywhere

The goal is not just clearing one tumor but immunological memory — a response that reaches untreated sites and guards against recurrence.

Track record

Pioneering the combination.

2014

First clinical AblationVax

Ablation combined with intratumoral Yervoy and Opdivo through a single needle (WCI-reported; first published SITC 2015).

2018

Costimulatory combinations expanded

Intratumoral OX40, CD40 and 4-1BB agonists added to ablation protocols.

2019

OX40 / CpG protocols described

In The Immunotherapy Revolution, Ch. 5 — alongside Yervoy / Opdivo / CpG / PV-10 combinations.

Now

PEF with multi-agent intratumoral protocols

OX40 / CpG / ipilimumab / CD40 combinations with saponin adjuvants, tuned to the individual tumor.

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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