Wednesday, December 27, 2000

SRMC performing innovative bronchoscopic procedure

Lung cancer is a major health problem in the United States, and it remains the most frequent cause of cancer death in the world.

According to recent statistics, approximately 150, 000 patients are killed by lung cancer annually in the U.S.

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation have all been utilized in the treatment of lung cancer. However, another option, called cryotherapy, has become available to patients suffering from lung cancer or other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Cryotherapy is a procedure that uses nitrous oxide to freeze tumors or other blockages, which then allows them to be removed. It is a freeze/defrost cycle that takes one minute, 30 seconds to freeze and 30 seconds to defrost.

This procedure can help facilitate cancer treatment, and is often a better alternative to radiation therapy. Where radiation is only about 20 percent successful, cryotherapy actually removes tumors and clears up bleeding and other lung obstructions.

There are only 10 centers in the United States that use this technique, mostly in the northern region. Southern Regional Medical Center is the only center in the south where cryotherapy is performed.

Anthony W. Cheng, M.D., F.C.C.P., F.A.C.P., introduced this treatment for the lung at Southern Regional. Dr. Cheng is one of five physicians at SRMC who uses cryotherapy. He has already had more than 20 successful cases.

"This is a very safe outpatient procedure with no complications, and it only requires local anesthesia and intravenous sedation," he said.

Cryotherapy can be done for malignant or benign type cancers, and it also helps decrease the cost of care for patients. Those suffering from chronic lung obstructions should know that there are other treatment options available to them.

Southern Regional Health System provides comprehensive health resources including:

Southern Regional Medical Center, a 410-bed, full-service hospital in Riverdale featuring a state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center, a women's center and one of the busiest and best emergency departments in the state;

RiverWoods, Southern Regional Psychiatric Center, a psychiatric facility with a complete continuum of behavioral care services;

Southern Regional Homecare, a home health agency providing home health services and home medical equipment and Surgery Center at Mt. Zion, a multi-specialty surgery center in Morrow.