Getting rid of ancient chest freezer?

We have an ancient chest freezer in our basement. I guarantee it's filled with freon, so I'm not ready to cut it in pieces with the sawzall. The dilemma is that it is so big I would have to remove the stair railing plus all the pantry shelving I installed on the stair landing where it turns to enter the kitchen to get it out in one peice. I wasn't thinking about the freezer when I put in the shelving. Unfortunately five years later we want to finish the basement and this dysfunctonal behemoth has to go. Just looking for some advice. I have the tools and could "scrap it out" from the basement, but then I'm worried about how dangerous a freon leak could be to me and the family.