Only U.S. Cryotherapy Trial for Mesothelioma Finds Success

Thoracic surgeon Dr. Shanda Blackmon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, believes there is a place for cryotherapy in the future multidisciplinary treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She wants to show it with this groundbreaking clinical trial. “We think [cryotherapy] could play an important role in treatment,” Blackmon told Asbestos.com. “So far, things look promising, but you can’t say anything specific without more numbers. Right now, it’s a little like telling a story.” Cryotherapy involves destroying cancer cells, or any abnormal tissues, by freezing them with controlled nitrogen vapors. It is often used for external tumors and applied directly with a spraying device. It also is used internally with a tube called a cryoprobe for several types of cancers and precancerous conditions. Cryotherapy is being used selectively with prostate cancer and liver cancer and still being researched for use with cancers of the colon, breast and kidneys. Cryotherapy as a Surgical Adjuvant for Mesothelioma In this mesothelioma clinical trial, cryotherapy is being tested and measured as a surgical adjuvant. The hope is that it will spark an immunological response, allowing the patient’s own immune system to better recognize and attack the tumor cells and reduce the extent of surgery. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that spreads quickly once it takes hold, going unrecognized by the immune system. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester is the only location for the tria...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: ADI-PEG 20 cryoablation cryotherapy intrapleural measles virus Mayo Clinic mesothelioma clinical trial Opdivo pacific mesothelioma center pleural mesothelioma pleuroscopy Shanda Blackmon Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Thera Source Type: news