Doctors can now form an ice ball around painful tumors, ablating them while allowing surrounding healthy tissue to remain intact. Recent success of new technologies has expanded patient options for improved intervention.
The Technique Has Numerous Applications
Cryoablation can be performed in a single session by an interventional radiologist, a doctor who specializes in image-guided procedures that help patients, in contrast to regular radiologists, who generally read images to aid diagnosis. In cryoablation, a probe is inserted into the tumor through the skin of the anesthetized patient. Gas is then used to freeze the tumor. Depending on the size and location, multiple probes may be utilized. The physician can see the ice ball as it forms, under computer technology imaging.
Such visibility increases the doctor’s ability to protect adjacent structures, even with large masses near and around critical vessels. Minimal sedation allows cryoablation to be performed on an outpatient basis. According to a brochure published by HealthTronics, who manufactures the Cryo-28 Percutaneous 8-Probe System used by some hospitals, the new technology has been applied successfully to tumors of the prostate, kidneys, lung, chest and liver.
Ice Formation Produces a Natural Anesthetic
Scientists at John Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore compared the post procedure pain requirements of cryoablation patients with those undergoing radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat, to treat similar conditions. Cryoablation was associated with a significantly reduced need for narcotic pain medications following the procedure, compared to the increased needs of those receiving other treatments. The study was published in the October 2005 issue of Radiology.
Cryoablation Can Help In Cases of Advanced Cancer
For those with metastatic disease, cryoablation can effectively relieve pain even when cancer has spread to bones. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester evaluated the safety and effectiveness of cryoablation in 14 patients over 18 months. The subjects either did not respond to or had refused conventional radiation or chemotherapy treatments and had painful bone lesions from 1 to 11 cm. in size. Following cryoablation, all participants reported a markedly reduced need for narcotics and less pain interference in activities of daily living. There were no serious complications in the treated group. The findings were published in the November 2006 issue of Radiology.
Cryoablation utilizes CT imaging for probe placement and ice zone monitoring. The procedure has evolved in recent years and is available worldwide. Precision and control allows treatment of malignant tumors throughout the body, promising reduced side effects and increased effectiveness for cancer patients.
References:
Image Guided Percutaneous Cryoablation, HealthTronics, accessed March 4, 2011
Radiology, Pain Control Requirements for Percutaneous Ablation of Renal Tumors: Cryoablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation--Initial Observations, Allaf, M.E., et. al., 237, October 2005
Radiology, Painful Metastases Involving Bone: Percutaneous Image-guided Cryoablation--Prospective Trial Interim Analysis, Callstrom, M.R., et. al., 241, November 2006
Mary Earhart - Mary Earhart, RN, BSN, is a Licensed Midwife. She has written articles for professional journals and grants for non-profit agencies as ...
Join the Conversation