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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > An Introduction to Cancer Treatments > Cryotherapy (Cryoablation)

Cryotherapy (Cryoablation)

Cryotherapy  or cryoablation (Cryo is from the Greek for frost or extreme cold. Ablation refers to removal or elimination.)  is the use of extreme cold to kill tumor cells.   A probe containing an extremely cold fluid is placed inside/on the area to be treated and the tumor (or abnormal growth) is frozen.  Cryotherapy can be performed during a open (fully invasive) surgery or the probes can be inserted through the skin in a minimally invasive procedure.

Cryotherapy is used to treat several different pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions, including: kidney cancer⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ lung cancer⁽¹⁾, esophageal cancer⁽³⁾, liver cancer⁽⁴⁾, cervical intraepitheal neoplasia (CIN)⁽⁵⁾, prostate cancer⁽⁶⁾, retinoblastoma⁽⁷⁾ and skin neoplasms⁽⁸⁾.

References for this page:

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