A new medical procedure gives hope to patients with arthritis and rheumatism.
Doctors at Jena University Hospital (UKJ) have achieved a world-first breakthrough in treating knee inflammation, known as arthritis. They successfully used a method called “transarterial periarticular embolization” (TAPE) on a cancer patient suffering from severe knee arthritis. According to UKJ, this new technique blocks blood flow to inflamed blood vessels in the knee joint, reducing swelling and pain.
Janet Piegsa, a 48-year-old woman who developed arthritis as a side effect of immunotherapy for colon cancer, had been unable to walk and relied on a wheelchair. Thanks to this innovative treatment, she can now walk again without assistance.
Arthritis as a Side Effect of Cancer Therapy
Janet Piegsa was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2013. She underwent multiple surgeries at UKJ’s Department of General, Visceral, and Vascular Surgery, followed by chemotherapy at the Department of Internal Medicine II. Despite these treatments, her cancer continued to spread, forming new tumors.
Dr. Thomas Stauch, a senior physician at UKJ, then introduced a new immunotherapy to help her body fight the cancer. This therapy, using immune checkpoint inhibitors, is designed to “remove the brakes” from the immune system, allowing it to attack cancer cells more effectively. However, this triggered an unexpected reaction in her body.
Her immune system began attacking healthy tissue, leading to severe arthritis in her left knee. “Only about ten percent of patients experience such strong immune responses,” said Dr. Stauch. “But in her case, it was extreme.” The pain became so unbearable that she could no longer stand or walk.
New Treatment Offers Hope Where Others Failed
Janet sought help at the Rheumatology Center at UKJ. Standard arthritis treatments, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and nuclear medicine procedures, failed to relieve her symptoms. Doctors could not use high-dose steroids because they would interfere with her cancer treatment.
With no other options left, a team of specialists from oncology, rheumatology, and radiology decided to try TAPE, a technique previously used to treat osteoarthritis but never before for this type of arthritis.
“We had nothing to lose by trying this method,” said Professor Alexander Pfeil, head of the Rheumatology Center.
A Breakthrough with Immediate Results
The TAPE procedure involves inserting a microcatheter—thinner than a millimeter—through the patient’s groin and guiding it to the inflamed area using X-ray imaging.
“We temporarily block the blood supply and inject antibiotics directly into the smallest blood vessels in the affected tissue,” explained Professor Ulf Teichgräber, director of the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at UKJ. “This allows the antibiotic to work much more effectively than when taken as a pill or infusion.”
The results were immediate. Within two days of the procedure, Janet was able to walk again without assistance.
“I can’t thank the doctors enough,” she said. “They didn’t give up on me. By taking away my pain, they have given me back my quality of life.”
New Hope for Rheumatology Patients
Doctors believe that TAPE could become a valuable option for treating rheumatic diseases, especially when traditional treatments fail.
“This method opens up entirely new possibilities, not just for arthritis patients but for many others with rheumatic conditions,” said Professor Pfeil.
UKJ plans to continue studying the effects of TAPE on different types of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Their goal is to refine the technique and make it available to more patients in the future.
This breakthrough marks a new chapter in medical research, offering hope to millions who suffer from chronic joint pain.
