Freeze Away Kidney Cancer ATLANTA, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- According to the National Kidney Cancer Foundation, there are more than 30,000 cases of kidney cancer diagnosed in the United States each year. It's typically treated by removing part, or all, of the kidney. Now doctors are leaving the kidney in and taking the cancer out. Tom Johnson spends a lot of time caring for his pet pigeon. He says, "I've had that particular pigeon, I guess, around 10 years. Its hard for them, but they learn to trust people, you know." He's talking about his pigeon, but tom could be talking about himself. A kidney cancer diagnosis last year left him at the mercy of his doctors. Urologist John Pattaras, M.D., had been studying cryotherapy for kidney cancer when Tom showed up in his office, but he had never performed the procedure in a human. "This is still somewhat of an experimental type of procedure. Really, what it is, is you're killing off the tumor by freezing it," Dr. Pattaras, of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, tells Ivanhoe. In patients who aren't good candidates for surgery, cryotherapy offers a chance at a cure without the risks of removing a kidney. Dr. Pattaras says, "You've got great odds for doing a very minimal operation through three little holes and, really, a very low risk of bleeding, a very low risk of complications overall." Last October, Tom became Dr. Pattaras' first kidney cancer patient to receive cryotherapy. "The skill is a little more challenging for the laparoscopic type of cryotherapy. It's the access to the kidney. It's really just getting to it and watching it and being comfortable with it," says Dr. Pattaras. Tom says, "I knew I was in good hands with Dr. Pattaras." He was right. Tom's wife, Gerri is relieved and commends Tom's optimism. "He's just a wonderful person," she says. "And same with you, darlin'," says Tom. Dr. Pattaras says there are just over 100 patients in the United States who have had cryotherapy for kidney cancer. The best candidates are those who have an early-stage, small, localized tumor who may be at risk if they undergo surgery to remove the kidney. If you would like more information, please contact: John G. Pattaras, M.D. Emory University School of Medicine 1365 Clifton Rd. Suite A 3217 Atlanta, GA 30322 (404) 778-3854 American Roenten Ray Society, 2006 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.