Virginia Tech now offering H-FIRE treatment

Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center now offers H-FIRE, a nonthermal tumor ablation procedure developed through collaboration between Virginia Tech’s veterinary medicine and engineering programs.

According to the release, equine patients battling stubborn sarcoids and melanomas can now use this new “tumor-destroying” technology, which allows most horses to remain standing during treatment. Because they can stand during treatment, it eliminates the violent muscle contractions induced by other treatments that previously required general anesthesia.

Elsa Ludwig, DVM, MS, CVA, PhD, DACVS-LA, clinical assistant professor of equine surgery at the center, worked with clinical researchers to treat cases of sarcoidosis, melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and rare skin tumors such as myxoma, describing the work as a success.¹

How does H-FIRE work?

H-FIRE uses electrical pulses to enhance chemotherapy uptake, creating holes in tumor cell walls. This then allows more chemotherapeutic drugs to enter and destroy the cells, resulting in the least amount of medication needed and making it safer for horses and those who handle and care for them after treatment.

The electrical pulses are delivered in quick, intermittent bursts rather than sustained charges, eliminating the need for anesthesia to prevent the patient’s muscles from contracting.¹ The biomedical engineers at Virginia Tech created the technology in 2011, and clinical trials began with veterinary researchers in 2013.

Now, most horses can be treated with local anesthesia at the treatment site while standing and sedated. In some cases, general anesthesia may be necessary based on the horse’s temperament or tumor location.

Emerging evidence suggests that H-FIRE could boost the horse’s natural immune system and help the body recognize and attack tumors if they develop elsewhere in the body.

Following the surgical excision and initial treatment, H-FIRE patients typically return monthly for 2 to 3 additional treatments that combine H-FIRE and chemotherapy. Horses receiving the treatment experienced minimal complications and were not out of work for long, especially after their follow-up visits. This then resulted in fewer emergency stall rest situations and faster returns to regular activity, racing, and competition. Besides reducing the amount of needed veterinary visits and lowering chemotherapy drug usage, this treatment can also help keep treatment costs down for clients.

“Sarcoids and other tumors are unpredictable and frustrating to treat,” said Ludwig, who formerly worked at North Carolina State University, the second place in the US to offer this treatment.¹ “There is every chance that the tumor may recur or be particularly aggressive in the future.”

Reference

1. Peart S. Virginia Tech-developed H-FIRE treatment now offered at Equine Medical Center. Virginia Tech News. January 29, 2026. Accessed January 30, 2026. https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/01/vetmed-emc-hfire.html