Doctors at the Taipei Medical University Hospital (TMUH) were cautiously optimistic about the cryotherapy technology the university imported last year to treat patients suffering from inoperable liver cancer.
TMUH is the only hospital in Taiwan using an argon-helium "knife," Huang Ming-de (黃銘德) said during a press conference at the hospital.
Since importing the machine in March last year, almost thirty patients have undergone the less-invasive treatment. Either in conjunction with traditional surgery or through "keyhole surgery" performed with a laparoscope, the argon-helium knife works by freezing the tumor with a blast of liquid argon-helium gas.
"We can destroy an area of up to 8cm in diameter, cooling the tumor to as much as minus 260oC," Huang said. "Once the knife is withdrawn, the tumor shatters upon exposure to body heat."
"It is not for everyone and it is not a miracle cure," he said. "But it is another item in our arsenal against liver cancer," adding that surgical excision is still the preferred treatment.
Seventy percent to 80 percent of lung cancer patients are ineligible for surgery, however, because of tumors that are too big or the presence of too many cancerous sites.
"Studies abroad seem to indicate that in suitable patients, cryoknife surgery might extend life by one year to 33 months," he said.
A point in favor of the therapy is that its intrusiveness is minimal, Huang said.
A 67-year-old woman whose breast cancer metastasized to her liver was able to leave the hospital the same day she received argon-helium knife therapy, he said.
"The woman refused an operation to remove the tumor on her liver because she had gone through so many surgeries and chemotherapy treatments already," Huang said. "But we were able to convince her to [try] cryotherapy."
The woman underwent the procedure three months ago, Huang said.
The treatment is not covered by the National Health Insurance and the woman had to pay NT$70,000 for the treatment, including anes-thesiology costs.
"It is too early to tell if the tumor will return," Huang said.
"But the patient's quality of life has increased and she was able to diminish use of chemotherapy medication and even go on a holiday to China," he said.
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