Published: January 29, 2026
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
New technology is bringing life-changing esophageal cancer treatment to patients at Norton Audubon Hospital.
William B. Evans III, M.D., gastroenterologist with Norton Gastroenterology Consultants of Louisville, is the first and only physician in Louisville to offer truFreeze spray cryotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer.
“I’m proud to be the first in the city to provide this important treatment to our patients,” Dr. Evans said. “This provides another tool for us, giving us a new, precise and safe option to care for patients with esophageal cancer. This advancement expands on what’s possible for cancer treatment right here at home.”
The truFreeze spray cryotherapy treatment is a specialized procedure in which an endoscope is inserted through the patient’s mouth and into the esophagus. The tip of the scope has a lens and light, allowing the physician to see the lining of the patient’s upper gastrointestinal tract. From there, the physician inserts a special catheter into the endoscope and sprays cold liquid nitrogen to freeze the unwanted, cancerous tissue. The tissue is sprayed, kept frozen for a period of time, then allowed to thaw.
Freezing the tissue leads to death of the cancerous cells.
While not a cure for esophageal cancer, cryotherapy treatment provides several benefits for patients. Because of the use of the endoscope, it’s a minimally invasive procedure. Unlike surgery or radiation, cryotherapy is highly targeted, helping preserve more of the patient’s healthy esophageal tissue and function, crucial for swallowing. Cryotherapy is also associated with less pain and fewer complications than traditional treatments.
Cryotherapy also can be used to eliminate the precancerous condition called Barrett esophagus with reduced scarring and lower risk of strictures (narrowing of the esophagus).
“Cryotherapy allows us to precisely target and destroy cancerous tissue while preserving the structure and function of the esophagus,” Dr. Evans said. “For many patients, it’s a less invasive option that can be repeated if needed, with fewer side effects and quicker recovery. It’s changing the conversation around what’s possible in managing this disease.”
The nearly $100,000 in funding necessary for the cryotherapy technology was made possible through a grant from the Norton Healthcare Foundation.
“We are incredibly excited to bring this treatment to Norton Healthcare,” said Lynnie Meyer, R.N., Ed.D., FAHP, CFRE, senior vice president and chief development officer, Norton Healthcare. “This technology will directly change the lives of many people by helping us bring safe, minimally invasive treatment options to patients facing esophageal cancer. This contribution is an investment in better outcomes and futures for our community.”
Esophageal cancer accounts for 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the U.S. and is the seventh leading cause of cancer deaths for males. In general, men are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer than women. It also becomes more common as people get older, with 9 out of every 10 diagnoses coming in people ages 55 or older.
Use this link to find more information about spray cryotherapy and esophageal cancer treatment options at Norton Healthcare.
In 2025, Dr. Evans also becamefirst and only physician in Kentucky to perform endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation, also known as EUS-RFA, for pancreatic cancer. To learn more about that procedure and other gastrointestinal cancer treatment options, follow this link.