Left to right: Melissa Ware (Assistant Nurse Unit Manager, Monash Imaging), Dr Suraindra Rajadurai, A/Prof. Diederick De Boo (Department Head Interventional Radiology), Malena Simona (NUM, Monash Imaging)
Monash Health is using a groundbreaking new treatment for kidney cancer. The treatment, known as cryoablation, destroys tumours by freezing them.
The Department of Interventional Radiology has been treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with thermal ablation using radiofrequency and microwave, or heat, for many years.
The department has broken new ground this year, by using cryoablation, or extreme cold, to destroy small kidney tumours.
‘This method is less likely to harm adjacent kidney tissue and can preserve more of the patient’s renal function,’ said Dr Suraindra Rajadurai, Interim Deputy Department Head of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Imaging.
‘It also has a lower chance of injuring adjacent organs than heat-based ablation and provides less risk for patients.’
‘Furthermore, it produces less post-operative pain, and most patients are able to go home the next day pain-free, leading to a safer procedure, shorter hospital stay and more comfortable patient experience.’
The procedure relies on the precision-guided insertion of cryo-probes into the tumour using a combination of CT scans and ultrasound guidance.
It is most effective in small renal cancers. It can be a curative option for patients who may be too frail or have contraindications to surgical resection of the kidney.
‘Monash Health is now among a handful of centres in Australia that can offer this service to patients. Drawing on our broad experience in cancer ablation opens exciting possibilities for utilising this technology in other cancers where it has shown promise, such as lung cancer, bone cancer and paediatric tumours,’ Dr Rajadurai said.
‘It has also shown promise in treating pain from metastatic tumours and has the potential to improve end-of-life care in some oncology patients.’
This program is an example of the excellent collaborative relationship between the Department of Urology and the Department of Interventional Radiology at Monash Health.