Israeli Company That Turns Tumors Into Ice Balls Now Sets Its Sight On Lung Cancer

We’ve told you before about IceCure’s amazing tumor-freezing technology that destroys breast tumors by freezing them into ice balls. Now the company has set its sights on another killer – lung cancer. The Israeli biomedical company that pioneered the application of cryoablation (a process which uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy diseased tissue) as a treatment for benign breast tumors (fibroadenomas), intends to expand its technology to the treatment of lung cancer, with a new clinical trial to begin in Japan.

“This study, which is fully funded by the Kameda Medical Center in Japan, may pave the road for IceCure to use its cryoablation technology in lung cancer tumors, in addition to the current commercial applications for the treatment of benign breast tumors and investigational use for small breast cancers,” said IceCure President and CEO Hezi Himelfarb.

IceCure has received FDA approval for its cryoablation system, IceSense3, to treat fibroadenomas and small malignant breast tumors. The procedure is minimally invasive, takes approximately 15 minutes and requires only local anaesthetic.

The technology, called IceSense3, uses ultrasound imaging to guide a hollow needle into the lump or tumor. The distal part of the needle is then cooled to -274F (-170C) through the use of liquid nitrogen, which engulfs the tumor in a ball of ice and destroys the targeted cells. No further procedure is necessary and the body automatically reabsorbs the dead cells over time.

According to IceCure, its procedure produces a more aesthetically pleasing result than surgery, which often leads to serious scarring.

Doctor Eisuke Fukuma, Chairman of the Breast Center at Kameda Medical Center, explains: “Cryoablation offers a much more comfortable and cosmetically appealing treatment option for small breast cancers. The IceSense3 system provides a more efficient, targeted treatment to completely destroy the tumor in a quick, office procedure.”

Now IceCure Medical wants to apply its technology beyond treating fibroadenomas and small malignant breast tumors.

Himelfarb says: “Successful results in the Japanese trial may open the possibility to enter a huge market with hundreds of thousands of new cases every year.” According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both men and women in the United States, more than the next three cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate).

The clinical study will be managed by Dr. Akihiko Takeshi, the chairman of the Thoracic Surgery Department at Kameda Medical Center. IceCure Medical will determine its future involvement in the treatment of lung cancer through cryoablation in accordance with the results of the study.

You would snuff the accumulated wisdom of lifetimes, the ability to adapt to 60, 70, or more years of change, accumulated skills, and the knowledge of how things used to be.

That's quite a leap.

With every advancement in life, there have been negative consequences that weren't exposed for many years. Is it not better to start envisioning what those negative impacts might be to lessen them for the future?

Cultural continuity requires that those who remember be able to pass those memories on, so the expectations of the young are not easily manipulated by those who would do so to their advantage, especially the accumulation and usurpation of power.

The elimination of those who remember would suit the Totalitarians just fine.

Agree, but I don't see the relevance to this topic. I am talking about the negative impacts it will have as more people vie longer for resources. I never said mankind should reject all advances made to date, but rather examine what the negative impacts will be from new advances and start now to developing solutions before they become major problems. One of those problems may be the control of who gets treatment and who doesn't. It may be denied to certain groups altogether. For example, Christians.

Check the ages of farmers in the US. The selfsame people producing resources are older, not youngsters as a rule. Check the age of those in the oil and gas industry, or for that matter almost any industry which produces resources. It isn't always 'old brains, young backs'.

If we need more, we really only need to get the government out of the way.

If we quit supporting those who will not support themselves (and I'm not talking those incapable of doing so by virtue of age or infirmity), we will have plenty of people who are willing to work to provide the very resources they consume.

Predicting what we need is done already.

Is it not better to start envisioning what those negative impacts might be to lessen them for the future?

So many cans, so little road (to kick them down).

As far as negative impacts go, I have faith in human nature. Technological advances will be spread as a good thing, while being quickly turned to diabolical ends to facilitate the accumulation of power or wealth through abuse or the threat of being withheld. Without a moral and somewhat altruistic society that will happen without fail.

Thanks for the ping, Smokin' Joe. Exciting news. :-)

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