Freezing Kidney Tumors as Effective as Laparoscopy

A new study shows that image-guided treatment of kidney tumors by percutaneous cryoablation is as effective as the laparoscopic technique in viable candidates.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Medical School (Madison, USA) performed and compared 19 percutaneous and 48 laparoscopic cryoablations. In the percutaneous procedure, interventional radiologists used imaging to pinpoint the tumor, and then inserted the cryoprobe through the skin. During the cryoablation, argon gas entered the tip of the probe and extracted heat from the surrounding cells, resulting in an ice ball that froze and killed the tumor.

The results of the comparative trial showed that percutaneous cryoablation resulted in a slightly lower recurrence rate of the tumor (12.5 versus 10.5%), a shorter hospital stay, no major complications, and a 59.5% lower hospital cost than the laparoscopic treatment. The procedure can be performed under general anesthesia, but is often possible with only local anesthesia and conscious sedation. The study was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 32nd annual scientific meeting, held during March 2007 in Seattle (WA, USA).

"This early stage research indicates that percutaneous cryoablation in the appropriate patient population can effectively kill tumors, while also offering patients a shorter hospital stay, a faster recovery, and an excellent safety profile, all at a lower cost than laparoscopy,” said lead author J. Louis Hinshaw, M.D., of the department of radiology. "Unfortunately, not all patients are viable candidates for percutaneous ablation and we work closely with our urology colleagues to ensure that each patient receives the most appropriate treatment.”

While surgical removal of kidney tumors offers the best chance for a cure, some patients may not tolerate surgery due to underlying medical conditions, while others may not want to have surgery for their cancer. In this group of patients, minimally invasive image-guided therapies offer another option. Cryoablation also offers benefits to some patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, in which chemotherapy drugs and radiation are generally ineffective at curing the kidney cancer.


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