Introduction
Cryotherapy is a treatment that uses extreme cold from compressed gas or liquid nitrogen to freeze off and destroy cancer cells.
Cryotherapy is a local treatment, meaning it is used on a specific part of the body and avoids damage to surrounding skin and tissue. It is used to treat tumours on the skin, as well as certain tumours inside the body.
Cryotherapy can also be called cryosurgery or cryoablation.
Preparing for treatment
Cryotherapy can be given in different ways depending on where the cancer is in the body.
Your child’s treating team will give you information about your child’s specific treatment and what it involves. They will also answer any questions you have.
Cryotherapy is usually done as an outpatient treatment. This means your child will come to the hospital for treatment and then go home after it is finished.
If your child is having treatment for cancer inside their body, like the lungs, kidneys, or liver, they will need an ultrasound or CT scan to check the exact position.
During the treatment
Depending on the type of cancer, your child might be given a local anaesthetic to stop any pain during the treatment. Local anaesthetic means it is given directly to the part of the body getting the treatment.
Cryotherapy usually takes 10-30 minutes, depending on the method used.
For cancers on the skin
The doctor will apply the liquid nitrogen directly to the skin cancer with a cotton swab or spraying device.
For cancers inside the body
The doctor may use a device called a cryoprobe, which is a small tool filled with gas that drops to freezing temperatures when compressed. The tip of the cryoprobe is used to freeze the cancer cells.
The cryoprobe is inserted into the body during surgery or through a small cut in the skin. The doctor will use an ultrasound or MRI to guide the cryoprobe to the correct spot, limiting the damage to nearby tissue.
After the treatment
When the frozen tissue breaks down, the cancer cells die.
Cancers frozen inside the body will be absorbed and passed as waste.
Cancers frozen on the skin will form a scab that will fall off as the skin heals.
Cryosurgery may be used with other cancer treatments, such as:
- chemotherapy - where medicine is given to kill cancer cells
- immunotherapy - where medicine is given to activate the body's immune system response to kill cancer cells
- radiation therapy - where high doses of radiation are given directly into the cancer to kill the cells
- surgery to remove tumours.
For example, the tissue remaining after a bone tumour has been removed by surgery can then be treated with cryotherapy to reduce the likelihood of the tumour coming back.
Management
Benefits of cryotherapy
Cryotherapy has benefits as a cancer treatment, including:
- only needing a small cut in the skin to give treatment
- it can be done with a local anaesthetic and doesn’t usually require a stay in hospital
- it is focused on a specific area and doesn’t tend to damage healthy tissue nearby
- it can be repeated safely and used alongside other cancer treatments.
- recovery is usually quick, and major side effects are uncommon.
Side effects
Side effects treatment on the skin can include:
- pain
- swelling and redness
- blistering
- infection.
Rare and longer-term side effects can include:
- scarring and numbness in the area
- lighter or darker skin colour in the area
General side effects of treatment inside the body can include:
- pain and discomfort in the treatment area, which should settle within a few days
- bleeding from the treatment area
- damage by freezing normal tissue close to the treatment area.
Your child’s doctor will try to avoid this as much as possible.
When to seek help
Call your doctor or nurse if your child has:
- a fever of 38 °C or higher
- chills - feeling cold and shivering.
Or any of the following symptoms at or around the treated area:
- redness or swelling that reaches areas of skin that haven’t been treated
- increasing pain or discomfort
- skin that is hot or hard to touch
- increasing oozing or drainage of yellow or green fluid
- a bad smell
- bleeding that doesn’t stop after applying pressure.
Resources and more information
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Childhood Cancer Support
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Children’s Cancer Institute
