Cryoablation Evaluated for Large Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients

March 20, 2024—Image-guided minimally invasive cryoablation to locate then freeze and destroy small, cancerous tumors has been shown to be effective for breast cancer patients with large tumors, thereby providing a new treatment path for those who are not candidates for surgery, according to a study conducted by Yolanda Bryce, MD, et al.

The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) reported that the treatment using imaging guidance such as ultrasound or CT scan has been successfully used to treat tumors < 1.5 cm, but its effectiveness on larger tumors was not extensively demonstrated until now. When combined with hormonal therapy and radiation, patients can have approximately 100% of their tumors destroyed. If the tumors grow, patients can be treated with cryoablation multiple times to control growth.

Dr. Bryce, who is an interventional radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, is presenting the study as Abstract #2 at SIR 2024, the society’s annual scientific meeting held March 23-28 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

As summarized in the SIR press release, this retrospective study assessed outcomes for 60 patients who underwent cryoablation because they were not candidates for surgery or refused surgery after consultation with a breast surgeon because of age, cardiac issues, hypertension, or they were undergoing chemotherapy for another cancer. Their tumor sizes ranged from 0.3 to 9 cm with an average size of 2.5 cm. Patients with tumors > 1.4 cm were treated with multiple probes (one probe placement for each centimeter of disease).

The procedures were performed with local anesthesia or minimal sedation, depending on the eligibility and preference of the patient. The freeze-thaw cycle started with 5 to 10 minutes of freezing, followed by 5 to 8 minutes of passive thaw, and then 5 to 10 minutes freezing at 100% intensity. Patients were able to go home on the same day, following the treatment, noted the SIR press release.

At 16-months follow-up, the recurrence rate was 10%.

“For patients who have larger tumors but can’t undergo surgery, this approach could be more effective than the current standard of care for patients who are not surgical candidates,” commented Dr. Bryce in the SIR press release. “When treated with only radiation and hormonal therapy, tumors will eventually return. So, the fact that we saw only a 10% recurrence rate in our study is incredibly promising.”

Dr. Bryce added, “Surgery is still the best option for tumor removal, but there are thousands of women who, for various reasons, cannot have surgery. We are optimistic that this can give more women hope on their treatment journeys.”

The investigators will continue to follow the patient cohort to collect data on long-term effectiveness and to better understand the impact that adjuvant (eg, hormone therapy and radiation) therapies combined with cryoablation can have on this patient population, noted the SIR press release.