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http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/163367/Ice-cold-gas-kills-breast-cancer
March 17,2010


Breast cancer: Scientists have found a way to freeze breast tumours

BREAST cancers can be killed off by being frozen with streams of super-cold gas, scientists have discovered.

And, in a major breakthrough, the “ice-ball” created around a tumour by the injections not only kills it off but ensures the cancer does not return.

Fine needles are used to inject the freezing gas around the tumour in a technique known as cryotherapy, which means the patient does not need invasive surgery and suffers no major discomfort.

The trial was carried out on 13 patients who had all refused to have breast operations to remove their tumours. They remained cancer-free up to five years later when doctors saw no sign of the disease returning and noted no significant complications.

Dr Peter Littrup, interventional radiologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, who led the study, said the findings suggested freezing tumours was both safe and effective.

“Minimally invasive cryotherapy opens the door for a potential new treatment for breast cancer and needs to be further tested,” he said. “When used for local control and – or – potential cure of breast cancer, it provided safe and effective breast conservation.” Although cryotherapy has been used by surgeons for years to treat disease, it always used to require a major operation.

But the invention of tiny needles has allowed radiologists to start using the process. Studies have already shown that it can help kill off prostate tumours, although it is still not recommended for widespread NHS use.

In the latest experiment, cancer cells are destroyed within minutes of the injections and the patient suffers little pain or scarring. The study was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Florida yesterday.

The team followed the 13 patients for five years – the length of time in which patients should not suffer a relapse in order for a treatment to be classed as effective. More than 45,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK. Most are given surgery to remove either the tumour or the entire breast.

This is followed by weeks of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and various drug treatments depending on the type of breast cancer. More than 80 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive for at least five years using these treatments and more than 70 per cent will survive for a decade.

In recent years, radiologists have been looking at a number of new ways in which they can “intervene” in diseases using a range of procedures.

These doctors, known as interventional radiologists, have tested techniques including “heating” tumours with lasers and radiation. Last night, breast cancer charities welcomed the new study, but said it was far too early to say if the technique would ever be available to all patients.

Dr Caitlin Palframan, from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “We are a long way away from knowing whether cryotherapy has potential as a treatment option. Where appropriate, surgery remains a gold-standard treatment and surgical techniques continue to improve all the time.”

But surgery can have a profound psychological impact on patients, and some refuse it despite the consequent risks. Cryotherapy has been used for years to treat various skin conditions such as warts, moles and skin cancers. It has also been shown to work on other cancers, including cancer of the lung, liver and cervix.

Although it is only minimally invasive there are side-effects and these can include damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

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US2007043343
Method and system for cryoablating fibroadenomas       
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J [US] ; STABINSKY SETH
Also published as: US2004082943 // US6789545 // US2005033273 //  US7128738 // US2005288658
Abstract -- A cryosurgical system adapted for treatment of fibroadenomas within the breast of a patient. The system includes cryoprobes and a control system which operates the cryoprobes to accomplish freezing in two stages, including a high power freeze and a low power freeze.


AU2009225359
Cryotherapy probe and system
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER ; BABKIN ALEXEI
Also published as: WO2004064914 // WO2004064914 // MXPA05007622  // JP2006517118 // EP1592357  (A2)      
Abstract -- A cryotherapy system is provided with multiple cryoprobes, each of which has a shaft with a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body and conduits for flowing a cryogenic fluid through the shaft to reduce a temperature of the distal end. A source is provided for the cryogenic fluid, and flow-control metering valves are provided in fluid communication with the conduits and source of the cryogenic fluid. A compressor is provided in fluid communication with the conduits of the cryoprobes to define a self-contained fluid system. The flow-control metering valves and the compressor are controlled by a computer processor to provide the desired flows of the cryogenic fluid through the conduits of the self-contained fluid system.


WO2009131978
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CRYOABLATION TREATMENT
Inventor:  BABKIN ALEXEI V [US] ; LITTRUP PETER
Also published as: WO2009131978 // US2009270851
Abstract -- A system and a method for its use are provided to cool a cryotip at the distal end of a probe for a cryosurgical procedure. In particular, the cryotip is cooled by a liquid refrigerant to cryogenic temperatures in order to perform a cryosurgical procedure on biological tissue. The system is closed-loop, and during transit of the liquid refrigerant through the entire system, the liquid refrigerant always remains in a liquid state at a relatively low pressure.


WO2009067497
FLEXIBLE MULTI-TUBULAR CRYOPROBE       
Inventor:  BABKIN ALEXEI V [US] ; LITTRUP PETER J
Also published as: WO2009067517
Abstract -- A flexible multi-tubular cryoprobe, including a housing for receiving an inlet flow of near critical cryogenic fluid from a fluid source and for discharging an outlet flow of the cryogenic fluid. A plurality of fluid transfer tubes are securely attached to the housing. This includes a set of inlet fluid transfer tubes for receiving the inlet flow from the housing; and, a set of outlet fluid transfer tubes for discharging the outlet flow to the housing. Each of the fluid transfer tubes is formed of material that maintains flexibility in a full range of temperatures from -200 DEG C to ambient temperature. Each fluid transfer tube has an inside diameter in a range of between about 0.10mm and 1.0mm and a wall thickness in a range of between about .01mm and .30mm. An end cap is positioned at the ends of the plurality of fluid transfer tubes to provide fluid transfer from the inlet fluid transfer tubes to the outlet fluid transfer tubes.


US2009113903
Cooling methods and systems using supercritical fluids
Inventor:  BABKIN ALEXEI V [US] ; DUNCAN ROBERT
Abstract -- The methods and systems using supercritical fluids for cooling of objects with high thermal emissions are disclosed. The unique thermodynamic properties of supercritical fluids combined with microchannel cooling technology allow effective absorption of the waste heat and exclude "vapor lock", "boiling crisis", and other deficiencies of conventional two-phase liquid cooling.


US2008275344
Method and Apparatus for Categorizing Breast Density and Assessing Cancer Risk Utilizing Acoustic Parameters       
Inventor:  GLIDE-HURST CARRI K [US] ; DURIC NEBOJSA
Abstract -- A method for categorizing whole-breast density is disclosed. The method includes the steps of exposing breast tissue to an acoustic signal; measuring a distribution of an acoustic parameter by analyzing the acoustic signal; and obtaining a measure of whole-breast density from said measuring step. An apparatus is also disclosed.

US2008119836
CRYOTHERAPY PROBE       
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J [US] ; BABKIN ALEXEI
Also published as: US2004215294 // US7410484
Abstract -- A gas-based cryotherapy probe is provided with a shaft having a closed distal end adapted for insertion into a body. A supply conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas towards the distal end, and a return conduit is disposed longitudinally within the shaft for flowing gas from the distal end. The gas is maintained at a lower pressure within the return conduit than in the supply conduit. A heat exchanger is disposed within the shaft in thermal communication with the supply conduit and return conduit to exchange heat from gas in the supply conduit to gas in the return conduit. A vacuum jacket is adapted to provide thermal isolation of the heat exchanger from the shaft.

US2008173028
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CRYOGENIC COOLING       
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J [US] ; BABKIN ALEXEI
Abstract -- Methods and systems are provided for cooling an object with a cryogen having a critical point defined by a critical-point pressure and a critical-point temperature. A pressure of the cryogen is raised above a pressure value determined to provide the cryogen at a reduced molar volume that prevents vapor lock. Thereafter, the cryogen is placed in thermal communication with the object to increase a temperature of the cryogen along a thermodynamic path that maintains the pressure greater than the critical-point pressure for a duration that the cryogen and object are in thermal communication.

KR20070073829
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CRYOGENIC COOLING
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER [US] ; BABKIN ALEXEI

JP2007090085
COMPUTERIZED ULTRASOUND RISK EVALUATION SYSTEM       
Inventor:  DURIC NEB ; LITTRUP PETER

US2006235375
US7507233
Cryotherapy system
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J [US] ; BABKIN ALEXEI

US2005261753
US7273479
Methods and systems for cryogenic cooling       
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J [US] ; BABKIN ALEXEI

WO03096883
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMBINED DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC ULTRASOUND SYSTEM INCORPORATING NONINVASIVE THERMOMETRY, ABLATION CONTROL AND AUTOMATION       
Inventor:  LITTRUP PETER J ; NEBOJSA DURIC

WO03090445
WIDE BANDGAP DIGITAL RADIATION IMAGING ARRAY       
Inventor:  AUNER GREGORY W ; LITTRUP PETER

US2004144927
Microsystems arrays for digital radiation imaging and signal processing and method for making microsystem arrays       
Inventor:  AUNER GREGORY W [US] ; LITTRUP PETER

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