In the last years, ice has become a new ally in cancer treatment. This system, known as cryoablation, produces ice balls and can surely kill cancer tumors which have spread to the lungs. That is, at least, what the results from a prospective, multicenter study on cryoablation show, as presented in the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology.
Apart from lung cancer, as is the case of the study, cryotherapy has also been used for tumors in other parts of the body. This treatment uses images as a guide, a needle-like applicator called cryoprobe, and liquid nitrogen or argon gas to create intense cold to freeze and destroy the unhealthy tissue, including cancer cells. It can be used to treat several skin conditions as well as tumors in liver, kidneys, bones, lungs and breasts.
In the study results, 22 subjects with a total of 36 tumors were treated with 27 cryoablation sessions, which turned out to be 100%effective to eliminate tumors in three months follow-up. Within six months, 5 of the 22 patients (23%) reported the tumors treated appeared to be dead. Besides, most of the patients can go back home the day after their treatment and go on with their daily activities. These results are a breakthrough in which ice is an ally.