One of the top 10 malignancies that affect both men and women is kidney cancer. Men have about a 1 in 46-lifetime risk of having kidney cancer, which is 2.02 percent. For women, the lifetime risk is approximately 1 in 80 (1.03 percent ). A person’s risk is additionally impacted by various variables, including genetics and lifestyle.
This year, there is a prediction that in the United States, kidney cancer will be diagnosed in 79,000 people (50,290 males and 28,710 women). In 2020, kidney cancer affected 431,288 individuals worldwide.
Kidney cancer for women ranks as the seventh most prevalent cancer. And it is the sixth most prevalent cancer in men in the US. Most early stage kidney cancer cases are discovered between the ages of 65 and 74, with the average age of diagnosis being 64. In people under the age of 45, kidney cancer is uncommon. American Indians and black people are more likely to experience it.
These numbers are astounding, but there are some preventive and treatment options one may explore for early stage kidney cancer. Cryoablation is one of the best that we will highlight in this piece.
Our Immunity Therapy Center cancer treatment plans aim to improve your defense system’s capacity to spot and destroy cancerous cells. We will exploit cancer cells’ weaknesses and eliminate them with organic, non-surgical, effective cancer medicines.
What is Cryoablation for Kidney Cancer?
An operation to eliminate all or a portion of the affected kidney is typically used to treat kidney cancer (renal cancer). However, other solutions may be used in some circumstances—especially if you have additional medical issues that make surgery unnecessary.
Ablation is the non-invasive cancer treatment that is best in such cases. There are two kinds of ablation therapy for kidney cancer: one that uses heat, radiofrequency ablation, and one that uses cold gas, cryoablation.
Percutaneous Cryoablation for kidney cancer is an outpatient procedure done under a local anesthetic that uses freezing temperatures to eliminate kidney tumors very similar to cryoablation for afib.
How Does Cryoablation for Kidney Cancer Work To Kill Cancer Cells?
Cryoablation therapy is best used to eliminate tumors that do not exceed 4 cm. A cylindrical probe (needle) is injected into the small renal tumor through either skin or during a laparoscopy.
A tumor-destroying ice ball is created when extremely cold gasses are pushed through the probe. Our kidney cancer doctors will review your best options because not all tumors respond well to this method.
Cold gas can eradicate the growth by quickly chilling and melting the tumor. As a result, the cancerous cells are depleted of oxygen, water, and blood. The little needle that doctors place into the small renal tumor is what delivers the gas, which is either nitrogen or argon.
Any form of healthy or diseased living tissue will perish if exposed to temperatures below freezing due to the following factors:
- Ice builds up in the extracellular fluid, which causes cellular dehydration.
- Within the cell, ice is forming. Intracellular lethal-ice crystals start to develop at around -40°C or less and will kill practically any cell.
- Exploding results from swelling brought on by ice expanding inside the cell or contracting due to water leaving the cell.
- The blood supply is cut off. As ice builds up inside tiny tumor blood vessels and causes clotting, cells perish when their blood supply is cut off. Since it takes roughly 10 minutes for the blood to clot, the intense cold is kept up for at least 15 minutes, if not longer. With some devices, doctors can control the ablation therapy temperature.
Kidney Tumors are frequently frozen and thawed because cryotherapy involves a sequence of processes that promote cell death. So the doctor will use two or more freeze-thaw rounds.
The immune system’s white blood cells work to eliminate the dead tissue after the cells have died.
Equipment Used During Cryoablation for Kidney Cancer
This therapy may use ultrasonography, MRI scan, CT scan, a cotton swab or spray, cryoprobe, and bronchoscope. The first three are to scan the patient and ascertain the kidney tumor size. In contrast, the last three devices are helpful for the procedure.
Scanning devices
Ultrasonography
Ultrasound machines have a controller, display, and transducer. The transducer is a portable microphone. Some exams use multiple transducers with differing capabilities. The transducer emits inaudible, high-frequency sound waves into the body and analyzes them for echoes.
The technician adds gel to the test site and sets the transducer. Gel permits sound waves to pass through the transducer and the examined area. A visual monitor displays the ultrasound imagery. The computer constructs the image by relying on the ultrasound transmitter’s pitch (frequency), amplitude (loudness), and comeback time. It also examines the body and tissue structure.
MRI Scanner
Traditional MRI machines are huge cylinders surrounded by magnets. You’ll lie on a surface that slips into the magnet’s core. MRIs provide high-quality pictures for numerous tests, like determining the kidney tumor size.
CT Scanner
CT scanners are donut-shaped with a short tube in the middle. You’ll lie on a table that glides through a tunnel. In a gantry, the x-ray tube and sensors rotate around you. The scanning computer is in a different room. The technician controls the device and visually observes your exam.
Procedural Equipment
Cotton swabs or sprays are used for topical cryotherapy.
Inside-body cryotherapy requires imaging guidance and a cryoprobe. A cryoprobe is a slender wand with needles. The cryoprobe connects to nitrogen or argon through the tubing. The FDA-approved cryotherapy equipment employs argon gas.
Bronchoscopes are used in cryotherapy as well to monitor breathing and heart rate. A thin, illuminated tube is used to inspect the trachea and bronchi.
The computer controls the delivery of the coolant from neighboring gas tanks. It ensures the flow is consistent to avoid overfilling the cells with cold gas, which can be fatal.
This technique may also utilize an IV, heart, and blood pressure monitor.
What To Do Before And After Cryoablation
Your physician may urge you to cease taking particular prescription medications and supplements at least one week before the treatment. Before the treatment, your doctor will instruct you to go without food and drink for eight hours.
Although you will probably spend one night in the hospital, returning to your usual self could take anywhere from one to three weeks. During this period, you will be asked to refrain from engaging in activities that require a lot of physical effort—because of this, making arrangements for some assistance at home is a brilliant idea. During the subsequent half-year, you will be required to attend several follow-up appointments to undergo additional scanning tests.
You may feel some pain after the anesthetic wears off. But you can use over-the-counter painkillers for pain relief.
What are The Benefits Of Cryoablation for Kidney Cancer Treatment?
When your age or other medical factors make surgery too dangerous for you, your doctor may recommend that you undergo cryoablation instead. The objective is to remove the tumor while preserving the healthy tissue surrounding it in the kidney.
The kidney cancer treatment strategy has a high success rate in halting the growth or spread of malignant cells, which is the essential benefit of using it.
Patients who undergo cryoablation for kidney cancer treatments enjoy shorter hospital stays and can return to their daily activities and routines more rapidly than those who undergo surgery that removes all or portions of the kidneys.
What to Expect With Cryoablation
Patients may require numerous sessions of kidney cryoablation before they see the outcomes they want.
Furthermore, there is a possibility that the cold produced by the ablation procedure could result in a leakage of urine or an obstruction that stops urine from moving from the kidney to the bladder as it usually would.
It is essential to be aware that most surgeons will position a temporary stent to protect the patient from temperature injury while the cryoablation procedure is being performed. Inflammation or injury to the kidney that is being treated are two other potential risks.
Cryoablation Adverse Effects
After the effects of the anesthesia have worn off, the area that was treated can be uncomfortable. You will likely require pain medication over the next few days.
Other issues that may arise after surgery include the following:
- Needing a blood transfusion due to the bleeding in the kidney.
- Urine leakage.
- Injury to the tube that transports urine from the kidney to the bladder might produce temporary weakness. This weakness can also be caused by damage to a nerve (the ureter).
Cryoablation’s Potential Risks and Drawbacks
Generally, patients who undergo cryotherapy treatment through an incision in the skin do not have any significant adverse effects.
Regardless, a few patients who have undergone cryotherapy through keyhole surgery experience complications that include injuries to the colon, trouble with breathing, and an irregular heart rate.
Cryoablation for Kidney Cancer limitations
Cryotherapy is a localized treatment that only treats one location. It can’t treat metastatic cancer that has moved to other body parts.
Since doctors use scans to determine cancers and their sizes, tiny and microscopic cancers may not show: thus, they can’t be treated with cryoablation.
Where Can You Get Cryoablation Therapy?
Our Immunity Therapy Center is one of many locations that provide cryoablation therapy. Numerous professionals with the knowledge and ability to perform successful cryoablations can be found in our clinic in Mexico.
In addition to kidney cancer alternative treatment, we also provide holistic treatment for infectious, chronic degenerative, and autoimmune
Our faculty has over 20 years of practice in natural cancer treatment and complementary medicine. We take great satisfaction in going above and beyond to provide each patient with the best care and an exceptional experience.
Please make an appointment with one of our cancer specialists by contacting us today.
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
Sources:
- Statistics on kidney cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidney-cancer/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text=Kidney%20cancer%20is%20among%20the,also%20affect%20a%20person’s%20risk.
- Risk factors that lead to cancer development. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/kidney-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
- Kidney Cancer Statistics Projections for 2022. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/kidney-cancer/statistics
- Cryoablation procedure. Radiological Society of North America. https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/cryo#1b056d97f90741c6b7c9c28d977fd140
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.