Application of cryotherapy for lung cancer

The purpose of lung cancer cryosurgery is to cure lung cancer, which can be used for small isolated primary lung cancers. The second is palliative treatment, which can be used for metastatic nodules and unresectable primary tumors. It can greatly reduce tumor burden, pleural effusion, bleeding and pain. The applications of lung cancer cryosurgery are as follows:

(I) Treatment of primary lung cancer that cannot be removed surgically

First, the tumor is separated from the chest wall with an electric knife to fully free the affected lung lobe. Liquid nitrogen is poured or sprayed into the tumor to form a solid icy tumor. For tumors in special locations, contact freezing can be used, with freeze-thaw cycles of 3 times, each lasting 3 to 5 minutes. X-rays 3 to 5 days after surgery show increased density shadows at the original lesion site, which are gradually absorbed after 2 to 3 weeks.

(II) Treatment of lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion

First, lung resection was performed, and then the chest wall pleura, mediastinal pleura and diaphragmatic pleura were stripped, and then the entire inner wall of the chest was spray frozen, thawed with warm saline, and repeated freezing and thawing 3 times. After the operation, the cancerous pleural effusion disappeared completely in all cases, and was replaced by normal pleural effusion consistent with complete lung resection. The preoperative poisoning symptoms and cachexia disappeared quickly, and the physical strength was significantly restored, indicating that the body's immune status had been definite Improved and improved, and the symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain were significantly relieved or even completely disappeared after the operation.

3. Cryotherapy for metastatic lung cancer

During the operation, the metastatic lesions were explored and located, and the normal lung tissue on the surface of the metastatic lesions was cut open and poured with liquid nitrogen. Different freezing and thawing cycles were performed. After the tumor was removed, the tumor base was frozen and thawed again. For metastatic tumors located near the hilum of the lungs near large blood vessels or bronchial tubes, lobectomy was performed first, and then the residual lobe tumor lesions were cryo-excised. For patients with bilateral lung metastasis, the chest was opened and cryo-excised twice, with an interval of about 1 month.

(IV) Bronchoscopy for cryotherapy of advanced lung cancer

For patients with advanced lung cancer who have lost the chance of surgery, when symptoms of bronchial obstruction appear, bronchoscopic cryotherapy is used to relieve bronchial obstruction, improve symptoms and quality of life, and achieve the purpose of palliative treatment.