Cryotherapy at OzSkinScan
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy is the primary treatment for solar keratoses in Australia. Most solar keratoses are treated with a short (2–5 seconds) freeze. This effectively removes about 70% of all solar keratoses treated.
Cryotherapy is also suited for low-risk primary tumours as basal cell carcinoma or Bowen’s disease (squamous cell carcinoma in situ) on the trunk and limbs. It has lower cure rates on the face so is not recommended for treating facial skin cancers.
For superficial basal cell carcinomas, the lesion is marked out with a 1 cm margin. The area is frozen and kept solid for 20–30 seconds, then allowed to thaw for approximately 3–5 minutes before being refrozen for 20–30 seconds. This produces a weeping wound/blister which may take 1–2 weeks to heal. Because of the slow healing, this treatment should not be used below the knee, particularly in people with compromised circulation.
Usually an excellent scar is achieved with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for superficial basal cell carcinomas although it tends to be hypopigmented. Bowen’s disease can also be treated with cryotherapy as a single freeze of approximately 5–10 seconds. Again, healing times can be prolonged so care needs to be used on the lower leg or sites with poor healing.
As with all non-surgical treatments, follow up review of the skin treated areas is very important to detect any recurrency.