Kubanda Cryotherapy for Breast Cancer in Low Resource Settings

Breast Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, and while 5- year survival rates are nearing 90% in the US, they are nearly half that in many low and middle income countries. Our invention is a cryoablation device that will be used to treat cancer in low and middle-income countries. In cryotherapy, cancer cells are frozen and killed by heat exchange between the tumor and cryoprobe which is cooled via the Joule-Thomson Effect. This treatment method is commonly used in the United States for other types of cancer; however, these cryoablation devices generally use argon gas, cost upwards of $2000 per probe, and are not reusable. Our team has developed a cryotherapy tip that is autoclavable, and uses carbon dioxide, a gas readily available in our targeted market, thus making the treatment more affordable and accessible.