Through a statement, the Houston Methodist Hospital informed NotiPress that the team of specialists is testing a technique to treat malignant tumors. It is one by which tumors release proteins recognized and attacked by the immune system. This would be a great advance, because according to the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI) the rate of deaths from malignant tumors increased in the last decade. This when going from 6.18 deaths per 10 thousand people in 2010 to 7.17 per 10 thousand in 2020.
Luz Venta, director of the Breast Cancer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital explained to NotiPress that the tumor is treated by a freezing process. “Tumor freezing (or cryoablation) has been used for years with great success in liver and kidney cancers to freeze and kill the tumor. Due to recent changes in breast cancer treatment, the time has come to add this technique to existing therapies against breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy,” he reported.
In the cryoablation process, a thin, rod-shaped needle called a cryoprobe is inserted through the skin and directly into the cancer, and a gas is pumped into the cryoprobe to freeze the tissue. The ice ball is generated around the tumor by going through a cycle of melting and freezing. This process kills cancer cells and results in the release of tumor antigens, which stimulate an immune system response. This process helps the body naturally fight disease, and according to Venta, most patients who undergo the treatment report little downtime and are able to go about their normal day.
For the specialist at the Houston Methodist Hospital, there are still unknowns about the final use of this procedure. However, patients with certain types of breast cancer have a new treatment option that can be used in combination with mastectomy and lumpectomy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy.
