Cryosurgery Information

Cryosurgery Information

There are some pet owners who have found cryosurgery to be of benefit. I have not had time to review of format them but I wanted to make the info available quickly. The email addresses are printed at the end of each email if you want to contact a person directly. 12/2002

Note: This page was created quickly. The links have not yet been tested. I'll get to it when I have time.
Updated: November 22, 2008

Email or call Susan for her opinion (914) 533-6066. Her cat had cryosurgery.

Links

Contact for opinion

Email Sophia for her opinion. Her cat had cryosurgery of the jaw but did not survive. Some of Sophia's emails are below.

Email Joyce for her opinion. Her cat had cryosurgery of the jaw but did not survive. Her story is on the SCC homepage. Link is at the top of this page.

Go to SCC Home page

Evaluation of the practicality and efficacy of cryotherapy in feline cutaneous SCC (11/2008)



	Hello, my name is Susan N. Caruso. You need to get out on your website the alternative option of cryosergery that SmithRidge Veterinary Clinic in So. Salem NY offers. I know that Joyce's story is out there but you really need to highlight it as a real viable option. My Georgie looked near death a few weeks ago. It started with a severe upper respiratory but I also noticed that the right side of his mouth seemed to protrude out more than normal. I checked but felt nothing until about the 4th time when I felt lower under his jaw, a mass. Now I knew what I was facing. I had always been practicing alternatives with Marty Goldstein's brother Robert but remembered reading in Marty's book about mouth cancer and Cryosurgery. My conventional vet told me the only option was removal of the jaw followed by radiation. Not an option that I would even consider. So, I told her about the cryo and made an appointment the following Tuesday with Dr. Aiken. Dr. Goldstein was there that day and had a chance to look at the large tumor that was in both upper/lower jaw. He did the surgery that day and my Georgie stayed there until Thursday on IV vitamin therapy and homeopathic injections. When I picked him up, his jaw was 3X normal size and I felt bad at what I had done. As soon as he got home he ate and with the supplements and the DMSO/Aloe Vera topical cream, his face was back to normal size in 3 days. He now has to get his mouth cleaned every day and is on anti-cancer drugs along with vitamins. He has some discomfort still so I give him pain pills so that he will feel good and eat better. I am cutting down the dosage slowly. He is eating, comfortable and no longer has blood coming out of his mouth from the tumor. The tumor is dead from the Cryo and is getting smaller. If he needs touch-up surgery, I will do that. It is really a non-invasive alternative. It gives all a chance at the least. The total for all of this was about 1,800.00 + supplements. Get the word out. There is hope. I am optimistic about the whole thing. Mouth cancer tends to stay localized so this is a good thing. I will let you know about Georgie's progress. Sincerely; Susan N. Caruso susan.caruso@epixweb.com Dear Joyce and Dan- My cat Flicka, a 10 year old Maine Coon, was diagnosed two weeks ago with squamous cell carcinoma on her upper jaw. I know her prognosis is not good, but from the information you each provided, I made a decision to try cryosurgery at Dr. Goldstein's clinic, since there didn't seem to be anything to lose. She had the surgery last Tuesday, and is now on vitamin supplements and homeopathic remedies. I will bring her in for a check up in a week and a half. She is keeping to herself more than usual, but still enjoys her food - - a good sign, I think. (Joyce, did Dr. Goldstein recommend putting her on a diet of raw food? I am reluctant to try this until she has recovered a bit more because I am sure she will resist a change in diet and I don't want her to stop eating.) It made such a difference for me to know what I was up against. Joyce, your upbeat attitude has helped me, and I hope Effie and Flicka are among those who are able to beat the statistics and regain some long term quality of life. Dan, I am so sorry about Snoop, but I am grateful that you shared your memories and made the knowledge that you had acquired available to others going through the same troubles. I found the links tremendously helpful, although the personal stories, including yours, were quite sad. Sincerely, Vicki Watson MerionInn@aol.com Dear Joyce - Thank you so much for the tips on food. I live in two places - NYC mid-week and Cape May NJ Friday through Monday. It seems that I can obtain this food mail order, but you would think in a place as big (and pet-loving) as NYC someone must be doing this locally. In any event, I would like you to tell me more about the sloughing process. Flicka was drooling a fair amount the first two days, but now (5 1/2 days after surgery) this seems to have stopped. Her breath still smells, but I haven't noticed any blood or other solid matter for days. I assume this means the dead tumor is still in her mouth. Did Effie's drooling/sloughing come in fits and starts? I'll tell you, the hardest part of the treatment regimen has been giving Flicka the dropperfuls of PolyMVA and the homeopathic BHI. Now when she sees me holding anything in my hand (even a pencil!) she runs for cover! I tell her that it is to help her get better - but you know cats - - their comprehension of English is very selective! Dear Dan (cc: to Joyce), Dr. Goldstein has written a book entitled The Nature of Animal Healing (Random House, 1999). The book discusses the alternative treatment of a broad spectrum of pet diseases, including cancer. I found some interviews with Dr. Goldstein on the web that I will try to track down and forward to you. I don't know the answer to your question about bone vs. soft tissue, but my sense from reading the book (and Joyce, please weigh in with what you know) is that cryosurgery can be used on localized tumors, such as squamous cell carcinomas, wherever they are. It seems that the option of cryosurgery is particularly useful in tumors that are difficult to reach, such as oral and rectal tumors, or other tumors where the structure of the affected area would be severely compromised by traditional surgery. With cryosurgery, the tumor and a margin of healthy skin around the tumor is frozen with liquid nitrogen or a metal probe. The dead tumor is then left in place, and the pet's immune system ultimately rejects the dead tissue, leaving healthy tissue behind. This is the sloughing that Joyce speaks of. According to some examples from the book, in some cases, such as a tumor on the ear or skin, the dead tumor simply falls off after a while. In any event, the book stresses that cryosurgery must be used in conjunction with therapies that boost the pet's immune system to ward off recurrence of the cancer. It also seems as though cancers such as squamous cell carcinomas may recur in the same or a nearby area, in which case they are zapped again with cryosurgery. I guess the cryosurgery in some cases eradicates the cancer, but in others it just buys time for the animal to get stronger. The thing that sold me on it for Flicka is that it is fairly non-invasive and the vitamin/supplement thereapies have no harmful side effects (although I'm sure Flicka would disagree that the process of having a dropper of foul smelling medicine squirted in one's mouth is completely trauma-free). The real thrust of Dr. Goldstein's book is the promotion of the overall health of the pet through diet and supplements so that they are better able to fight disease. He also is a proponent of, and goes on at great length about, something called Immuno-Augmentative Therapy (IAT), which is an individualized therapy that redresses imbalances in pets' (and people's) immune systems. This involves a specific blood work-up. I don't know what the cost is, and this has not been done for Flicka, at least not yet. Dan, I don't know how often this treatment actually results in long-term survival for these types of oral cancers, but apparently it does work some of the time, and that has given me hope. Being able to "do something" has also made me feel a little less helpless, so thank you (and Joyce) again for disseminating the information. Regards, Vicki My Georgie had a tumor in his right lower jaw which protruded into his soft tissue under the tongue and it also spread to upper jaw. I truly believe it would be beneficial in all cases for they do not only concentrate on the tumor but the overall health of cat. The first thing I would suggest that anyone do is get a copy of Dr. Martin Goldstein's book "The Nature of Animal Healing". This will let you know where he is coming from. The one thing we all have to remember this is not a 100% cure but a viable option rather than just sitting back and watching your cat starve to death. One must go into this with an open mind for it is unlike any kind of medical treatment that most people have seen. Bottom line, I don't know how this will turn out in the end because his tumor was so big (it would have been better if he had gotten it done when smaller) BUT I am happy to say on 12/2/02 he is doing 100% better than 3 weeks ago. I have now cut him back on his pain medicine and he is eating well. Even if this ultimately doesn't work for him at least we will go down trying. I am talking to Dr. Aiken again tonight and will ask her specfic questions on the soft tissue issue. My girlfriend had cryo done on her dog's tongue, so it must be used for soft tissue also. Sincerely; Susan N. Caruso

	Contact Sophia at dallesophia@hotmail.com 2/28/2004 dan i do not believe cryosurgery is effective as cure. the entire system is already to wounded i believe as cancer is the final stage the original squamous in her jaw he froze four times and she was clean completely clean.she was then on blended organic cooked fresh meat , herbs, everything and hand fed for two and one half months.then it reoccured. i am setting up a web page in her honour i will link to yours if i may sophia 2/25/2004 SHE HAD HER SECOND CRYOSURGERY TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING UPSTATE. THE CANCER HAD RETURNED IN THE JAW TWO MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST CRYO THE SURGERY WAS TOO MUCH FOR HER AND SHE COULDNT BREATH AFTER I GOT HER HOME ON THANKSGIVING 10/21/2003 my girl has had successful cryo on her jaw with dr. goldstein.he just did followup exam and the site isclean.he wants to do another cryo next month as a just in case touch up. the surgery itself is not arduous it is the cancer cells coming out of the mouth and tiredness ND HEALING . AS I SAID SHE IS 17 1/2 WITH KIDNEY PROBLEMS AS WELL. HE FROZE THE TUMOUR 4 TIMES IN SAME SESSION AND DEMSANDS SHE STAY ON ORGANIC RAW OR COOKED MEAT WHICH I PURCHASE FROM WHISKERS IT HAS HERBS AND VEGGIES AS WELL.I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A VET TECH SYRINGE FEED THE BLENDED ORGANIC MEATS WITH HOMEOPATHIC RENAL AND CANCER DROPS FROM GOLDSTEIN SOPHIA