Cryotherapy is on the list of minimally invasive therapies for the treatment of various types of cancer, renal in particular. It is indicated for patients whose tumours do not exceed 4 cm or for whom surgery is contraindicated.
It involves the destruction of the tumour through the freezing of the tissue at a temperature of -40ºC. Cell death at this temperature is achieved by means of Argon or Nitrogen gas. For this procedure to be successful, it is essential to determine the location of the tumour accurately using advanced diagnostic imaging techniques.
The use of this treatment has clear advantages due to the resulting reduction of the hospitalisation period and the avoidance of scarring. It is also painless and does not require adjuvant therapy.