Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Cryoablation Delivers Effective Tumor Control With Faster Recovery, Study Finds
Italy: Cryoablation may offer a safe and patient-friendly alternative to surgery for selected patients with early-stage breast cancer, particularly elderly women who are unfit for or reluctant to undergo conventional surgical treatment.
A new prospective study published in Clinical Breast Cancer by Jacopo Nori Cucchiar from the Breast Diagnostic Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, and colleagues highlights the effectiveness of this minimally invasive approach while also demonstrating meaningful improvements in patient quality of life.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, and although surgery is the cornerstone of treatment, it may not be feasible for all patients. Advancing age, comorbidities, and concerns related to surgical morbidity have prompted interest in less invasive local therapies. Cryoablation, which destroys tumor tissue by freezing, has emerged as a promising option, particularly for low-risk, early-stage tumors.
In this single-center prospective study, the investigators evaluated the safety, efficacy, and quality-of-life outcomes of ultrasound-guided cryoablation in patients with biopsy-confirmed breast cancer treated between 2021 and 2023. All patients underwent detailed locoregional staging using ultrasound and contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) before treatment. Follow-up imaging with ultrasound was conducted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, with additional CEM and confirmatory biopsy performed at the 12-month mark to assess treatment success.
The study included 36 women with a mean age of 84.5 years, reflecting a population in whom surgery is often challenging. A total of 39 tumors were treated, with an average tumor size of approximately 15 mm. All cancers were early-stage and classified as luminal A or B subtypes, comprising invasive ductal carcinoma alone or in combination with ductal carcinoma in situ.
The study led to the following notable findings:
- Cryoablation showed high efficacy at one year, particularly in patients with smaller tumors.
- Complete tumor ablation was achieved in 100% of cancers measuring 15 mm or less.
- Tumors larger than 15 mm demonstrated a complete ablation rate of 84.6%.
- No unexpected device-related adverse events were reported, indicating a favorable safety profile.
- Follow-up with contrast-enhanced mammography showed strong concordance between imaging findings and histological results.
- Quality-of-life assessments using validated questionnaires showed significant improvements after cryoablation.
- Patients reported better physical and emotional well-being following the procedure.
- Compared with conventional surgery, cryoablation was associated with lower anxiety levels.
- Patients experienced faster recovery and higher overall satisfaction with treatment.
- The quality-of-life benefits were especially pronounced in elderly patients, for whom avoiding hospitalization and prolonged recovery was an important advantage.
The authors conclude that cryoablation represents a promising, minimally invasive treatment option for carefully selected patients with low-risk, early-stage breast cancer. By combining high rates of local tumor control with improved quality of life and rapid recovery, cryoablation may help address an unmet need in breast cancer care.
"While larger studies and longer follow-up are needed to confirm long-term oncologic outcomes, the current findings support the growing role of cryoablation as an alternative to surgery in appropriately chosen patients," they wrote.
Reference:
Cucchiari, J. N., Naro, F. D., Migliaro, G., Giorgi, S. E. B., Pugliese, F., Amadori, T., Bicchierai, G., De Benedetto, D., Bellini, C., Vidali, S., Vanzi, E., Boeri, C., Lamagna, V., Miele, V., & Susini, T. (2025). Cryoablation for Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer: Efficacy and Quality of Life Assessment. Clinical Breast Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clbc.2025.12.004
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