Heat therapy effective in cervical cancer

Lucknow: Doctors of King George’s Medical University have found that the pre-cancerous stage of cervical cancer can be more effectively treated by Thermocoagulation in comparison to cold therapy which is commonly used to treat the same.

In a study by doctors of Queen Mary’s Hospital, it was found that thermocoagulation in which localized damage is done to malignant cervical tissue by heating it up to 100 degrees Celsius has very few side effects, in comparison to Cryotherapy also known as cold therapy, which uses extremely low temperatures to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. For the study, precancerous stage 160 patients were divided into two groups — each with 80 patients. The first group was given thermocoagulation while the others given cold therapy.

“About 55% of women who received cold therapy complained of white discharge, while only 10% who underwent thermocoagulation reported such a problem,” said Prof Rekha Sachan who was one among four researchers who conducted the study. Besides, patients got relief in only one sitting of thermocoagulation, while the cold therapy group has to be called for two-three sessions for full relief, she added.

“We have sent the study to be published in the Indian Journal of Cancer. These findings can be used in the treatment of village women under the outreach program as suitcase size thermocoagulators have come into the market. Doctors can treat women in the village by organizing camps," she added. In this research, dean, medical,

KGMU

, Dr Uma Singh, Dr Manjulata Verma and Dr Pushpalata Shankhawar also participated.