March 8, 2016
Mesothelioma doctors at the Mayo Clinic are in the midst of a clinical trial to determine the safety and effectiveness of cryotherapy treatment for patients. Mesothelioma is an aggressive, terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Many workers have been exposed to the dangerous substance in their work with asbestos gaskets, asbestos brake linings and asbestos insulation products.
With cryotherapy, doctors freeze the mesothelioma tumor before removing it from the body. The first patient to receive cryotherapy for mesothelioma at the Mayo Clinic was Mary Kuntz, a 68-year-old grandmother. Doctors used liquid nitrogen to freeze the tumor and then surgeons removed it two weeks later.
Physicians hope that cryotherapy will trigger a mesothelioma patient’s immune system to fight off any cancer cells left in the body. At this point, Mayo Clinic surgeon Shandra Blackmon — the clinical trial’s principal investigator — explains that cryotherapy for mesothelioma is in an explorative stage in which doctors are studying how the procedure stimulates the body’s immune response. Cryotherapy reportedly has proven beneficial for patients with other types of cancers. The Mayo Clinic team anticipates treating about 15 patients with the procedure.
It is hoped that mesothelioma treatment with cryotherapy will help to preserve the lung, which helps patients recover more quickly from surgery. In addition, explained Mayo Clinic pulmonologist Tobias Peikert, the procedure is less toxic than the standard treatment for mesothelioma.
As for Mary Kuntz, she is hoping that doctors will be able to use what they learn from her cryotherapy treatment to help other patients struggling with mesothelioma.
If you (or a loved one) have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us by email or call us at 800.226.9880 to speak with our asbestos lawyers, like Gary Paul and Scott Frost in our California office, to learn more about how we can assist you and your family with a mesothelioma lawsuit.
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