New therapy kills cancer cells with extreme cold and blistering heat
The world's first multi-model ablation therapy for liver cancer treatment completed its first clinical trial at Shanghai Cancer Center, the hospital announced today.
During the therapy, doctors first use -196 degrees Celsius liquid nitrogen to freeze the cancerous tissues, and then use high-temperature ablation to heat the cancerous cells to destroy them.
The procedure not only targets cancerous tissues, but also generates patients' own immunity to prevent and control relapses and metastasis of the cancer, experts said.
Researchers Xu Xuemin from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Li Wentao from the Shanghai Cancer Center have spent five years trying to develop a cancer ablation system that uses both freezing and heating functions.
"The entire therapy takes place through one insertion," said Dr Li Wentao, director of the cancer center's interventional treatment department. "The new multi-model ablation therapy offers hope to liver cancer patients who can't receive surgery or those with relapses or metastasis to improve treatment effects and prolong their survival."
Cancer treatments primarily consist of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. However, more than half of liver cancer patients can't receive surgery or chemotherapy or suffer poor treatment effects due to various causes.
"The new multi-model ablation provides another option, and is expected to expanded to other cancer treatments in the future," Li said.
During the therapy, doctors use liquid nitrogen to freeze the cancerous tissues, and then use high-temperature ablation to heat the cancerous cells to destroy them.
