A New Option For Early Stage Esophageal Cancer

A little over a year ago I posted about a workmate of mine that had esophageal cancer. I'm sorry to say that he lost his battle this past spring. Now any time I see anything on esophageal cancer I sit up and take note. So, as I was thumbing through the November issue of Reader's Digest I was struck by a short article in their health section which offers a new option for patients who have very early stage esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus (a precancerous lining). It's called cryospray ablation.

After reading about the treatment it reminded me of how they treated the warts I once had on my hands. For them they 'froze' them, they then blistered and a scab formed and, for some of them, the wart went away with the scab. With cryospray ablation, "a gastroenterologist places a flexible endoscope down the throat of a mildly sedated patient and then sprays of liquid nitrogen freeze and kill the abnormal tissue, which sloughs off. In about four weeks, healthy tissue grows in its place." The procedure is so new that the patients are still being followed, but presumably it may cure early cancer. To learn more visit www.csamedical.com.