Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi has started advanced cancer treatment using a cryoablation machine.

The new facility will initially provide treatment to 15 cancer patients. The procedure will be offered completely free of charge.

According to available details, 15 special probes have been delivered for the first phase. Each probe costs around Rs. 1.6 million.

Every probe can only be used for one patient. More probes are expected after the first group completes treatment.

Holy Family Hospital has also started screening patients who may qualify for the procedure. Screening is taking place at four hospitals in Rawalpindi.

Patients with liver, lung, breast, and kidney cancer may be considered for cryoablation. However, the size of the tumor must not exceed two centimeters.

Patients with tumors larger than two centimeters will not qualify for this treatment.

Cryoablation is a procedure that destroys cancerous tissue using extreme temperatures. During treatment, tumors are frozen at temperatures as low as minus 180 degrees Celsius.

The affected tissue is then exposed to heat reaching up to 100 degrees Celsius. This process is designed to destroy the targeted cancer cells.

The treatment at Holy Family Hospital will be available without any charges. Selected patients will not have to pay procedure fees.

Cancer cases can be referred from several medical facilities. These include Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital.

Patients may also be referred from PKLI and Holy Family Hospital itself.

Before the procedure, eligible patients will undergo further medical evaluation. Their cases will be reviewed with specialist doctors from NORI Hospital in Islamabad.

This consultation will help doctors determine whether cryoablation is suitable for each patient.

In the first stage, only 15 patients will receive the treatment. This number matches the probes currently available at the hospital.

After the initial procedures are completed, more probes will be supplied. This will allow additional cancer patients to receive treatment.

The introduction of cryoablation at Holy Family Hospital adds another treatment option for selected cancer patients in Rawalpindi.

The service is specifically aimed at patients with small tumors who meet the required medical criteria.

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Doctors will continue screening patients before selecting them for the procedure. Eligibility will depend on cancer type, tumor size, and specialist evaluation.