Less-invasive treatments effective for some types of cancer: freezing or heating tumors works as well as surgery for some patients.(CANCER) From: Health News | Date: March 1, 2008 | COPYRIGHT 2008 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Aggressive treatments to cure cancer can pose intolerable risks for certain vulnerable patients. Several recent studies have examined alternative treatments that are less invasive than open surgery, such as percutaneous cryoablation and laparoscopic cryoablation (both methods destroy the tumor by freezing it) and radiofrequency ablation (heat).

KIDNEY CANCERS. About 110 percent of kidney tumors arise in the renal tubules of the kidneys where blood is filtered and urine pr...