Surgery, chemotherapy

and radiation have all been utilized in the treatment of lung cancer.

However, another option, called cryotherapy, has become available to patients

suffering from lung cancer or other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Cryotherapy

is a procedure that uses nitrous oxide to freeze tumors or other blockages,

which then allows them to be removed. It is a freeze/defrost cycle that

takes one minute, 30 seconds to freeze and 30 seconds to defrost.

This procedure

can help facilitate cancer treatment, and is often a better alternative

to radiation therapy. Where radiation is only about 20 percent successful,

cryotherapy actually removes tumors and clears up bleeding and other lung

obstructions.

There are only

10 centers in the United States that use this technique, mostly in the

northern region. Southern Regional Medical Center is the only center in

the south where cryotherapy is performed.

Anthony W.

Cheng, M.D., F.C.C.P., F.A.C.P., introduced this treatment for the lung

at Southern Regional. Dr. Cheng is one of five physicians at SRMC who

uses cryotherapy. He has already had more than 20 successful cases.

"This

is a very safe outpatient procedure with no complications, and it only

requires local anesthesia and intravenous sedation," he said.

Cryotherapy

can be done for malignant or benign type cancers, and it also helps decrease

the cost of care for patients. Those suffering from chronic lung obstructions

should know that there are other treatment options available to them.

Southern Regional

Health System provides comprehensive health resources including:

Southern Regional

Medical Center, a 410-bed, full-service hospital in Riverdale featuring

a state-of-the-art outpatient surgery center, a women's center and one

of the busiest and best emergency departments in the state;

RiverWoods,

Southern Regional Psychiatric Center, a psychiatric facility with a complete

continuum of behavioral care services;

Southern Regional

Homecare, a home health agency providing home health services and home

medical equipment and Surgery Center at Mt. Zion, a multi-specialty surgery

center in Morrow.