Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSFrostbite used to fight cancer
Frostbite is being used by Scottish doctors to fight prostate cancer tumours in a procedure called cryotherapy, it has been revealed.
The procedure freezes then thaws tumours, killing cancer cells by shattering them. It is only available to recurring cancer victims who have already had radiotherapy, with inoperable tumours or in cases where surgery would be a considerable risk.
There have been ‘encouraging’ results since the procedure was introduced in Scotland a year ago, with 13 men having received the treatment.
Professor of Urology and Surgical Oncology, Hing Leung, said: “Without intervention such as Cryotherapy, these patients will eventually develop cancer spread within five years leading to premature death. Cryotherapy is minimally invasive and the results for cancer control have been extremely favourable for everyone we have treated.”
The therapy is carried out by a team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Gartnavel General Hospital and the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.
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