Dolly Sigel: That's so beautiful, let's not cut it, let's wait.
Jennifer Matthews: Dolly Sigel used to be a Speech Therapist. Ironically, she was recently faced with the possibility of losing her voice.
Dolly Sigel: I was devastated.
Jennifer Matthews: She was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her right vocal chord.
Dolly Sigel: I couldn't believe that this was happening to me.
Jennifer Matthews: One treatment option was seven weeks of radiation, but Dolly was afraid it might affect her voice.
Dolly Sigel: Lo and behold, how lucky I was because Dr. Strome was doing a new procedure that would eliminate radiation, and there was a very good chance that voice quality would be retained.
Jennifer Matthews: In that new procedure, Doctor Strome uses a laser to remove the tumor and then cryosurgery to freeze any remaining tissue.
Marshall Strome: What the freezing does, at least to our knowledge at this point in time, is enables that scar tissue to be less dense, more pliable, and, as such, gives us a better voice quality.
Jennifer Matthews: This is a model of a person's vocal chords. Doctor Strome says the key to removing a tumor are to leave as much normal tissue as possible. He says cryosurgery does just that. This video shows doctors freezing Dolly's tumor. She had her voice back immediately.
Dolly Sigel: I am very optimistic. I just think it is terrific. Without a doubt, with no question, this has been a blessing.
Jennifer Matthews: It's a blessing she hopes will last. This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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