Baptist Begins New Procedure to Ablate Tumors

Jackson, Miss. - June 11, 2003-- Cryoablation, a relatively new surgical procedure in which malignant tumors are ablated through carefully controlled freezing, was performed at Baptist for the first time on May 8, 2003 by urologist Land Renfroe, M.D. This procedure is ideally suited for selected patients with localized kidney and prostate cancers.

Sixty-year-old retired Jackson Deputy Fire Chief James "Jim" Hunter was "feeling great" the day after Dr. Renfroe performed the procedure.
"I feel some minor pain when I cough," he said. Hunter emphasized that he monitors his health and tried to get physicals once a year. "Part of that physical included a scan that showed a solid mass on my kidney."

Due to other health problems, Dr. Renfroe stated that Hunter was a good candidate for the minimally invasive cryoablation. "The tumor is now dead, but, as with all cancer patients, he will have close long-term follow-up."

In contrast to open surgery, cryotherapy for kidney cancers can be done laparoscopically or percutaneously for prostate cancers and is, therefore, minimally invasive. With cyroablation, after doctors use ultrasound to pinpoint the location of the tumor, they apply local anesthesia and insert a small needle (1.47 mm) into the area. The system creates very cold temperatures at the tip of the needle, and the benign tumor is quick-frozen at a temperature of minus 170 degrees Centigrade. The intense cold transforms the tumor into a tiny ice ball, visible through the ultrasound monitor. The intensity of the cold actually kills the cells by causing the cellular membrane to shatter, and the blood source to freeze, shrivel up and die. Over several weeks, the tumor shrinks and ultimately disappears.

"I feel really good about the procedure because I keep a check on my health, and it seems the earlier you catch problems, the better off you are," Hunter said. "I would encourage everybody to go to the doctor and get a check up."

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