Cryoablation is a type of Cryotherapy, wherein freezing temperatures are used to destroy abnormal or cancerous tissues. It works on the basic principle of Joule-Thompson effect, wherein temperature of a gas or liquid changes significantly when it flows from higher pressure to lower pressure.

Medical professionals use cryoprobes (needle-like probes) to deliver cryogenic gases to the cancerous tissues. . Modern imaging techniques such as Ultrasound (US), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Computed Tomography (CT) are used to guide the cryoprobe to the targeted area.

Cryoablation procedure generally requires a few minutes to complete, but the time can vary depending upon the volume of tumour cells.

Depending upon the location of tumour cells, medical professionals use different techniques of delivering the cryogenic gases. If the tumour cells are present superficially, the procedure is performed percutaneously (through skin). And if the tumour is deep inside any organ, laparoscope, which is a long flexible tube equipped with a camera at the end, is used by the medical professionals.

Before undergoing cryoablation, medical professionals insert an IV catheter to administer anaesthetics. Sometimes, they apply an anaesthetic cream on skin to create the numbness around the area of interest. This is done to manage the pain and reduce it.

Cryoablation is indicated in the treatment of Renal Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer among others.

Sayre Therapeutics and Cryoablation

Sayre Therapeutics with its partner Boston Scientific has made the ICEFx cryoablation system available in India. It has now been set up for the general population at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute (RGCI).

The first ICEfx cryoablation procedure in India has been successfully completed on a breast cancer patient at RGCI, New Delhi. In another notable case, a patient with renal cell carcinoma at Medanta Hospital successfully underwent ICEfx cryoablation, opting this method to avoid general anaesthesia.

This procedure underscores the excellent safety and efficacy profile of the ICEfx system, demonstrating its potential across various cancer types and patient needs.

ICEfx cryoablation system offers several advantages over its competitor, which include

  1. Ease of Handling: ICEfx weighs about 23 Kg, which is significantly less than its competitors weighing around 80-120 Kg.
  2. Active Thaw: i-thaw and fast thaw features of ICEfx helps in reducing the risk of bleeding during needle removal.
  3. Track Ablation and Cautery: This helps in precise targeting of tumours and reducing the chances of tumour seeding.
  4. Multiple Needles: ICEfx comes with 8 different needles, which helps in reducing the procedure time.
  5. Needle Diameters: 17G and 14G needles with ICEfx helps in reducing the risk of haemorrage.
  6. Multi-Point Thermal Sensors: ICEfx is equipped with 4 sensors for effective scanning of ablation zones.

References:

[1] J. Tacke, R. Speetzen, I. Heschel, D. W. Hunter, G. Rau, and R. W. Günther, “Imaging of Interstitial Cryotherapy—Anin VitroComparison of Ultrasound, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” Cryobiology, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 250–259, May 1999, doi: 10.1006/cryo.1999.2168.

[2] R. N. Uppot, S. G. Silverman, R. J. Zagoria, K. Tuncali, D. D. Childs, and D. A. Gervais, “Imaging-guided percutaneous ablation of renal cell carcinoma: A primer of how we do it,” American Journal of Roentgenology, vol. 192, no. 6. pp. 1558–1570, Jun. 2009. doi: 10.2214/AJR.09.2582.

[3] R. K. Goel and J. H. Kaouk, “Probe ablative treatment for small renal masses: cryoablation vs. radio frequency ablation,” Curr Opin Urol, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 467–473, Sep. 2008, doi: 10.1097/MOU.0b013e32830a735b.

[4] W. C. Chapman et al., “Hepatic Cryoablation, But Not Radiofrequency Ablation, Results in Lung Inflammation,” Ann Surg, vol. 231, no. 5, pp. 752–761, May 2000, doi: 10.1097/00000658-200005000-00016.