How to Freeze Cervical Cancer Cells
- 1). Consult with your doctor to discover whether cryotherapy is a viable means of treating your particular case of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, cryotherapy is only a viable means of treatment in cervical cancers that are extremely underdeveloped. Thus, if your cervical cancer was detected early during a routine PAP smear or some other medical procedure, you might be a likely candidate for cryotherapy.
- 2). Understand the process behind cryotherapy to understand whether it is an appropriate treatment for your specific condition. Cryotherapy is an invasive procedure, during which time the supervising physician will use a "cryoprobe" to enter the body, coming into direct contact with the cancerous area. Liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide is passed through the tube to freeze the cancerous cells. Following the procedure, the cancerous tissue is reabsorbed or eliminated from the body after it thaws.
- 3). Familiarize yourself with the potential side effects to weigh the risk of treatment against your other available options. According to the NCI, cryotherapy can result in side effects such as cramping, bleeding or localized pain. As cryotherapy is a relatively new type of procedure, there is not a lot of available data on long-term effects, so consider a more traditional form of cancer therapy if you are unwilling to take the potential risk of adverse effects down the line.
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