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Punjab Opens First Public Co‑Ablation Cancer Center at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital

A China partnership plus local training enabled a freeze‑then‑heat technique now offered free to patients.

Overview

  • The new center is operational at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, marking Pakistan’s first public‑sector deployment of co‑ablation technology.
  • Doctors briefed that the minimally invasive procedure freezes tumors near −198°C and then heats tissue to about 80–83°C, typically taking 60–120 minutes with rapid post‑procedure mobility.
  • Hospital officials reported five patients have undergone the treatment with encouraging early results, initially targeting liver, lung and breast cancers, with kidney cancer next.
  • Although the reported operating cost is about Rs1.6 million per case, the chief minister said treatment will be provided free and available to patients from other provinces.
  • The government ordered five additional machines for Nishtar Hospital Multan, a Rawalpindi facility and three Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospitals, alongside recruiting master trainers and building a dedicated clinical pool, with one new unit expected to start by December.