Learn about cryotherapy’s role in treating bone and soft tissue tumours. Expert insights reveal how this innovative technique can help manage sarcoma.
Cryotherapy is a modality of treatment that utilises extreme cold effects to cause programmed cell death in living cells, a process medically called apoptosis. It is effective in reducing inflammations at near-zero temperatures but has a higher cell-destroying effect when used at minus 100 degrees Celsius. This property is harnessed to destroy tumour or cancer cells in the body, and the same has now paved its way in treating tumours and cancers of the bone, soft tissue and metastases from other cancers.
According to Dr Srimanth B S, Lead Consultant – Orthopaedic Oncology, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bengaluru, the subzero temperatures are delivered via liquid nitrogen. This extreme cold has found utility in both minimally invasive situations, such as Cryoablation (destruction of tissue using extreme cold temperatures), and extensive biological recycling procedures for bone tumours and cancers.
The indications and applications are evolving for minimally invasive procedures over the last decade. Delivery via a cryoprobe has been used to treat benign bone tumours such as chondroblastoma, giant cell tumour, etc. Lately, there is interest and evidence in treating a notorious benign soft tissue tumour called desmoid fibromatosis and has shown promising results either shrinking or stabilising the tumour post therapy. Other indications include ablation or destruction of metastases in soft tissue, lungs and bone (similar to CyberKnife radiotherapy) and can be done on a day care basis with minimal scarring or pain.
Cryotherapy has also been effective in destroying the bone cancer cells during a limb-saving surgery. The resultant bone is termed -recycled since it retains most of its natural properties but is devoid of any cancer cells. This recycling procedure has been a great boon in India for many patients suffering from bone cancers or sarcomas. The procedure takes about 1 hour and is performed in the operating room, thereby reducing complications and enhancing the reconstruction. This cryo-recycled bone is placed back into the limb and fixed with orthopaedic implants to last long.
To summarise, cryotherapy has been used in various ways to treat orthopaedic oncology diseases, with a newer focus on using it via minimally invasive methods at experienced centres to maximise results.
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