Many people develop precancerous skin lesions as they age due to the amount of sunlight exposure they received over the course of their lifetimes. The lesions develop due to the ultraviolet radiation of the sunlight.
A common precancerous skin lesion is actinic keratosis. If left untreated, in some cases, actinic keratosis can develop into skin cancer. One effective treatment to eliminate the actinic keratoses before they develop into skin cancer is cryosurgery.
What is Cryosurgery?
Cryosurgery, also known as “cryotherapy,” is a treatment that involves using extreme cold to freeze and destroy diseased tissue, including precancerous and cancerous cells.1 Cryosurgery involves the use of liquid nitrogen or argon gas to freeze actinic keratoses and eliminate them before they can develop into skin cancer.2
Cryosurgery can be used for actinic keratoses located on the skin or just under the skin. Doctors will use magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT), or ultrasound to help guide the liquid nitrogen or argon gas to the location where the actinic keratosis is inside of the body.1 The liquid nitrogen or argon gas travels through a “cryoprobe” in order to reach that location.3 A small incision is made on the skin in order for the cryoprobe to have access to the inside of the patient’s body to treat inner precancer cells.4
Whether inside or outside of the body, the freezing liquid will freeze whatever is around the application device (whether it’s a cryoprobe for inner precancerous cells or a spraying device for outer precancerous cells). This will include the precancerous cells. If the precancerous cells are inside of the body, the body will absorb them when they thaw out; otherwise, a scab will form around the precancerous cells and flake away in time.
The Benefits of Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery has several benefits for patients who are dealing with precancerous skin lesions or lesions just under the skin. Instead of choosing a more invasive surgery to eliminate them, patients can choose cryosurgery because it is less invasive than other treatments for precancerous cells. Due to the fact that the risk of bleeding, pain, and other complications is minimized with cryosurgery, the patient can recover faster than if he or she opted for more invasive precancer treatments.3
Due to its less invasive nature, patients can often have cryosurgery performed on an outgoing patient basis, as just a local area of anesthesia is needed to numb the immediate area to apply the freezing liquid to the precancerous skin lesion.5
Additionally, the cost of cryosurgery is lower than other precancer treatments, mostly because it is less invasive and because less recovery time is needed.
In the event that the precancer does become skin cancer or spreads to bones and tissues, cryosurgery can still be utilized as a treatment option, since the cryoprobes that deliver the liquid nitrogen or argon gas can be inserted almost anywhere thanks to a small incision in the skin and the freezing liquid can be used almost anywhere inside of the body.
The Disadvantages of Cryosurgery
While cryosurgery has many benefits and advantages as compared to other precancer treatment options, there are a few drawbacks. It is unknown how effective cryosurgery is long term. Due to this uncertainty over the long-term effectiveness of this treatment, insurance companies may not be willing to cover the cost of such treatment, leaving the financial obligation to the patient. In addition, any cancer spreading at a microscopic level is missed by cryosurgery treatment.
Since the long-term effectiveness of cryosurgery is unknown, it is possible that you will need another type of treatment for your precancer at some point in the future.5 As a result, you could have to incur more emotional and financial cost if the cryosurgery is not effective in treating your precancer.
Cryosurgery is made to be used to treat cancer at a single site; it is not really effective for cancer that has spread to other parts of your body.1 Again, keeping a vigilant watch on what is occurring with your skin and notifying your doctor of any suspicious-looking moles or patches on your skin right away to keep cryosurgery as a viable option for your precancer treatment.
It’s important to note as well that there is a little bit of discomfort when it comes to receiving the freezing liquid from the spraying device or the cryoprobe. This is why patients are often advised to take 400 milligrams (mg) of ibuprofen around a half-hour before the procedure in order to relieve the minor discomfort associated with cryosurgery.1
Cryosurgery Can Provide Another Viable Option for Precancer Treatment
Cryosurgery enables patients to be able to eliminate their precancers without having to undergo invasive surgeries and treatments. Liquid nitrogen or argon gas can freeze a precancerous skin lesion on either the outside or inside of the body with minimal invasion and minimal recovery time. This usually eliminates the precancer and prevents it from developing into skin cancer, enabling the patient to avoid additional complications and higher medical costs.
While there isn’t much evidence to prove its long-term effectiveness, early results of using cryosurgery for short-term treatments are quite promising and give patients another weapon in their fight against precancerous skin lesions.
References
1 Cryotherapy. (2010, March 15). From Radiological Society of North America and American College of Radiology: www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=cryo
2 Treatment: Actinic Keratosis. (2007, May 4). From University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine: www.dermatology.ucsf.edu/skincancer/General/treatment/Actinic_Keratosis.aspx
3 Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Q & A. (2003, September 10). From National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health:
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/cryosurgery
4 Ibid
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
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