1. Definition

Cryotherapy is an old and young technology, with ice being used thousands of years ago to treat infected wounds and cuts of all kinds. The "Ar-He knife", known as cryotherapy, is the world's first high-precision therapeutic instrument approved by the U.S. FDA for the targeted killing of cancer cells, utilizing space-rocket-guided technology and combining the dual efficacy of ultra-low-temperature freezing and heat therapy.

2. Mechanism

Cryotherapy is generally known as an "extreme cold + extreme heat" cancer treatment, it actually is an important ablation technique. Generally, the Argon freezes the tumor lesions to 120℃~180℃ below zero, which leads them to coagulation necrosis; after that, the Helium rapidly heat up to 20℃~40℃ to unfreeze the hard ice and lead blasting, which induces cancer cell dehydration, rupture, anoxia, so as to kill cancer cells and destroy the tumor tissues. The speed and time of cooling and warming, as well as the size and shape of the puck, can be set and controlled.

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3. Treatment process

Percutaneous cryoablation is most commonly used in which a cryoprobe is inserted into the tumor under applied ultrasound or CT guidance, argon gas is introduced to rapidly lower the temperature inside the tumor, then helium gas is introduced to rewarm the iceball, followed by freezing->rewarming, for at least 2 cycles. Freezing is continued until the ice pellet covers the entire tumor and 5-10 mm of surrounding normal tissue. For large tumors, multiple cryoprobes are often inserted simultaneously. Depending on the need, sometimes at least 2-3 cryotherapy sessions are performed.

①CT-guided percutaneous puncture with argon helium knife probe
②The probe accurately penetrates into the tumor tissue.
③Accurately enter the tumor tissue and start freezing treatment.
④Helium-Argon knife freezing continues, forming an ice ball.
⑤Ar-He knife treatment is finished, after bandage the minimally invasive wound, the patient can return to the ward by themselves.

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4. The revolutionary efficacy: one treatment, two methods, triple effects

The revolutionary breakthrough of argon helium knife in medicine lies in its unique argon rapid cooling and helium heating system, in which argon gas freezes tumor tissues into ice balls within one minute, "freezing to death" the tumor cells, and at the same time, it will not cause freezing damage to normal tissues.

After freezing, the tumor tissue will be heated up to a certain temperature and then frozen for the second time. This kind of freezing reversal treatment process is particularly thorough in destroying the diseased tissues, which can directly cause dehydration and rupture of the cancer cells or destroy the small blood vessels of the tumor and lead to lack of oxygen, thus killing the tumor cells.

At the same time, the dead tumor tissues left in situ after cold ablation can regulate the tumor antigen and activate the anti-cancer immune response, and the frozen cancer cells are more sensitive to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which can enhance the effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Thus, it can form the high curative effect of one treatment, two methods and three effects.

5. Applicable Group

①Patients who cannot undergo operation or fear of operation

② Patients who have tolerance of chemotherapy and radiotherapy

③Patients who got poor efficacy after taking traditional operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

④Middle or advanced stage cancer patients with tumor recurrence or metastasis

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6. Applicable diseases:

Cryotherapy is mainly used to treat solid tumors, such as breast cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer, skin cancer, melanoma, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, penile cancer, oral cancer, etc.

7. Cryotherapy VS Traditional Resection Operation

(1) Safety

*Cryotherapy: High Safety, low risk

*Traditional Resection Operation: High risk

(2) Damage Degree

*Cryotherapy: Small incision, few damage to normal tissues and can be performed repeatedly.

*Traditional Resection Operation: Big incision, more bleeding and pain, high risk of recurrence and metastasis.

(3) Treatment characteristics

*Cryotherapy: There is no need to take operation but can get the same effect as resection operation. Cryotherapy destroys tumor tissues thoroughly with the treatment of “extreme hot & extreme cold.” Cryotherapy is of less bleeding and quick recovery.

*Traditional Resection Operation: Operation brings great trauma to human body. Patients after operation are of high risk of infections and complications.

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8. Advantages

(1) Small trauma, quick recovery

Operation brings great damage, infections and complications, but the needle of cryotherapy is only 2-4mm, so patient can get a quick recovery with small trauma.

(2) Few side effects

Operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy bring great damage to human body. Actually, cryotherapy is a kind of physical therapy; it kills cancer cells without hurting normal tissues. Therefore, compared with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cryotherapy is of few toxic side effects.

(3)  Real time monitoring

The whole process is performed under the guidance of image monitor, so the temperature, time, size and shape of the ice ball can be set and controlled accurately.

(4) Activation of immunity

The remaining dead tumor tissues actually can regulate and control the tumor antigen, and activate the anticancer immunity to remove the residual cancer cells and necrotic cells.

(5) Significant effect

Cryotherapy destroys tumor tissues thoroughly with extreme low temperature. It not only relieves cancer patient’s pain, but also prolongs their survival time.

(6) Wide scope of application

Cryotherapy not only is effective in treating tumor of small size or big size (whose diameter is over 5cm), but also can remove the residual tumor tissues after operation. Thus, it is suitable for old and weak cancer patients to take it.

(7) Local anesthesia

Cryotherapy adopts local anesthesia, so there is no limitation and risk of general anesthesia.

(8) Repeatability

Cryotherapy can be performed repeatedly to improve and strong the efficacy without hurting normal tissues.

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