The drugs activate the laser, which causes the laser to kill the drug-filled cancer cells rather than healthy cells. At M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Dr. Steven A. Curley is fighting liver cancer with heat rather than knives. Another type of surgery is called cryosurgery. In prostate cancer, for example, nitrogen pellets are placed in the prostate and they freeze and kill the cancer. Some experts consider this treatment experimental.
Brain surgery requires precision, skill and a delicate touch.
The wand is attached to a robotic arm covered with electronic sensors that send signals to a computer. When the neurosurgeons move the wand, they watch their movements on the computer screen. The wand enables them to pinpoint a tumor's exact location, saving healthy parts of the brain. Sawaya predicts it is only a matter of time before these wands become commonplace in the operating room. Patients often experience some loss of function in the treated area, especially if the radiation killed healthy cells near the tumor.