# SenoGuard

Non-Radiation Breakthrough in Breast Cancer Treatment

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/senoguard.inc
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:164307
- Last updated: 2026-06-12T03:31:22Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-12T03:37:42Z

## Quick facts
- An alternative to radiation after lumpectomy that avoids pain, fatigue,clinical and cosmetic damage.
- $1.2M from National Science Foundation: proved effectiveness. 2nd grant awarded to do FDA submission
- Affordable & accessible, avoids RT toxicities, offers a better option. Done at time of lumpectomy
- Experienced team with 100+ years in advancing women's healthcare with innovative medical devices.
- Eliminates up to 6 weeks of daily treatments at radiation center that may require long distances
- Allows proper treatment for 28% of patients unable to get RT due to distance, cost, or no time off.
- Allows breast cancer treatment to be done at community hospitals where most women prefer treatment.
- Allows lumpectomy to be performed globally in countries where mastectomy is currently only choice

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:124049: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:124048: 4(a)(6) open (USD)

## Story
After a lumpectomy, radiation is administered daily for up to 6 weeks in order to kill any remaining cancer cells that may cause a recurrence. SenoGuard is developing a new way to protect against breast cancer recurrence that does not use radiation fraught with toxicities. Instead of radiating any unseen cancer cells, SenoGuard freezes them to death (literally) in one sitting at the same time as the lumpectomy.In a market research study* of US women, 28% of those who would qualify for a lumpectomy, chose mastectomy instead. This is because only centers with radiation oncologists and their team with special equipment can deliver radiation; unlike a non-radiation procedure where every hospital has the capability. Unless the patient lives close to a radiation center, can take time off work for almost 6 weeks, can afford to stay in a hotel if they don't live close enough to travel, and has the ability to pay, can they accept a lumpectomy with radiation. The SenoGuard procedure is done at the same time as the breast surgery, by the surgeon, and does not require any---much less many--follow up treatments.SenoGuard's technologyBreast cancer surgeons want to perform this procedure because they will know that the patient completed their RT therapy; unlike the 33% who do not complete their radiation treatments and then have a 17% chance of recurrence. Surgeons who perform the SenoGuard procedure will also attract more patients, increasing their patient satisfaction and patient volume.Patients will be able to avoid the hassle, fatigue, and pain associated with radiation therapy. Recently at a pickleball court, a player told me that her sister--after two radiation treatments--told her that she "would rather die from the breast cancer than have any more radiation treatments".The motivation to avoid radiation is so strong that 93% of patients would pay out of pocket to have a non-radiation procedure.In addition, there are cosmetic changes to the breast such as a different texture, color, volume and sometimes nipple direction. Patients have claimed that it is very difficult to get a bra that fits both breasts correctly.The team is comprised of experts in their field with prior experience bringing innovative paradigm-shifting products to market. The team is using the same PR firm they have in the past that provided a 5X return in 2.5 years in spite of the fact that the new product being promoted actually depleted income from the physicians.SenoGuard has already achieved proof of concept in animal studies, supported by a National Science Foundation grant. A second grant of $1M was awarded by the National Science Foundation to finalize the design, perform human specimen testing, and submit an application to the FDA for 510k clearance. Immediately following the acceptance of the 510k submission, a Breakthrough Technology Exemption will be submitted. Breakthrough Technology Exemptions allow the company to expedite both FDA clearance as well as obtaining reimbursement codes.With these parameters met, commercialization is possible within 24-36 months of funding.SenoGuard is seeking $1,235,000 to add to their second National Science Foundation grant of $1M in order to test the final design prototype for FDA submission. We ask for your support of $100 or more to achieve this goal of advancing breast cancer treatment for all women globally.

## FAQ
1. **Hi, I'm Sherwood Neiss, managing partner of D3VC.ai. We are an early-stage venture fund that invests in select RegCF offerings. Your offering scored high on our algorithm, and we had an opportunity to begin diligence on your company. During our investment committee call, the f...**
   - Hi Sherwood, Thanks for inquiring about SenoGuard. Answers to your very good questions follow. It appears that you are comparing SenoGuard’s more precise targeting to whole breast radiation; the first form of radiation used to eliminate residual cancer cells after lumpectomy that was developed almost 40 years ago and still widely used today. Since then, it has been proven that Up to 90% of local recurrences originate in the 1cm area of tissue surrounding the surgical cavity. While whole breas...
2. **Have there been animal studies to date to verify this procedure? Would it be possible to offer this as a veterenary treatment and monitor outcomes? I can't imagine that anyone would subject their pet to radiation treatments.**
   - Steve, Yes, we have done animal studies. SenoGuard actually looked at the veterinary market as an initial entry point into human procedures. And although the vet market is growing, it is still a very small market and thus not attractive to investors. Cryoablation for surface and subdermal lumps and bumps have been in use with vets for awhile quite successfully but to suggest deeper or internal organ tumors would require a much stronger cryoablation technology (like that of SenoGuard) but its ...

## Team
- Diana Tucker (CEO & Founder)
- Dan Wittenberger (Chief Technology Officer)
- Robb Finnemore (CFO)
- Darius Francescatti, MD (Chief Medical Officer)
- John Baust (VP R&D)

## Recent posts
- Novel Breast Cancer Treatment being Researched by SenoGuard (2025-02-18T14:59:43Z)
- SenoGuard receives 2nd National Science Foundation Award (2025-01-21T17:31:38Z)

## Q&A
- Q: Hi, I'm Sherwood Neiss, managing partner of D3VC.ai. We are an early-stage venture fund that invests in select RegCF offerings. Your offering scored high on our algorithm, and we had an opportunity to begin diligence on your company. During our investment committee call, the following questions came up. We were hoping you could answer: Treatment Scope & Radiation Coverage: Our medical advisors raised a question about the scope of your treatment. Radiation therapy post-lumpectomy is designed to cover a much broader area (multiple inches around the lumpectomy site) to address cancer cells that may have spread beyond the surgical cavity. How does your localized cryogenic device address this broader treatment need? Can you explain how your approach compares to the broader coverage that traditional radiation provides? Device Duration & Removal: Does your device remain in the patient's body permanently, or is it removed after a certain period of time? What is the intended duration of device presence? Side Effects & Safety Profile: What are the potential side effects and damage that can occur from your cryogenic treatment? How does your safety profile compare to traditional radiation therapy? Competitive Differentiation: We noted Ice Cure as a potential competitor that uses cryogenic freezing to replace the surgical procedure itself. How does your approach differ, and what are the advantages of your device over existing cryogenic solutions? Best, Sherwood
  - A: Hi Sherwood, Thanks for inquiring about SenoGuard. Answers to your very good questions follow. It appears that you are comparing SenoGuard’s more precise targeting to whole breast radiation; the first form of radiation used to eliminate residual cancer cells after lumpectomy that was developed almost 40 years ago and still widely used today. Since then, it has been proven that Up to 90% of local recurrences originate in the 1cm area of tissue surrounding the surgical cavity. While whole breast radiation works by sterilizing most of the breast, SenoGuard targets the proven 1cm tissue surrounding the cavity Our procedure is performed by the surgeon in the OR immediately after removal of the tumor. A probe is inserted into the surgical cavity and lethally freezes all cells within a 1cm depth. This takes 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the tumor. After thawing, the disposable probe is extracted and the surgeon closes the wound and patient is sent home, ready to go back to their lifestyle the next day.Cryoablation has been used to treat cancers for 25 years with a high safety profile. The biggest and unlikely risk would be if it was applied too close to the surface skin and a lesion appeared. Several proven mitigation methods are considered.Radiation has been shown to cause cardiac disease with death over time, originates other cancers, changes the cosmetic appearance and sensitivity of the breasts so drastically that many women become depressed or discontinue the radio therapy or even resort to mastectomy. During the 3 weeks of treatment, the patients are extremely fatigued. Ice Cure’s treatment aims to kill the tumor itself; therefore cannot treat tumors over 1.5cm. Many are not detected that small. Market research shows that the majority of women do not want their tumor left in their breast.SenoGuard can treat tumors that have been excised up to 2cm in size, with future possibilities of even greater sizes, meaning a much wider audience. Also, the SenoGuard approach includes surgical removal of the tumor, while IceCure kills the tumor and leaves it in-situ.Diana Tucker
- Q: Have there been animal studies to date to verify this procedure? Would it be possible to offer this as a veterenary treatment and monitor outcomes? I can't imagine that anyone would subject their pet to radiation treatments.
  - A: Steve, Yes, we have done animal studies. SenoGuard actually looked at the veterinary market as an initial entry point into human procedures. And although the vet market is growing, it is still a very small market and thus not attractive to investors. Cryoablation for surface and subdermal lumps and bumps have been in use with vets for awhile quite successfully but to suggest deeper or internal organ tumors would require a much stronger cryoablation technology (like that of SenoGuard) but its current use is rather rare. But you are correct about pet owners not wanting to radiate their pets; it is just not a viable market right now.Thank you for your curiosity!