United States: Freezing of large tumors could work actively against the difficult-to-treat breast cancer treatments.
The experts who conducted the minimally invasive treatment called cryoablation reported that a total of just 10 percent of the patients undergoing this treatment had a recurrence of cancer within 16 months.
Dr. Yolanda Bryce, the researcher and an interventional radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City said, “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,” as US News reported.
The process followed by experts
The procedure is carried out with an ultrasound or CT scan being used to locate the tumor, and then a radiologist uses small needles with probes into the breast to inject an ice ball that surrounds the cancer cells.
Positive outcomes of the procedure
The ice eliminates the tumor; thus, the patients were assured that they eradicated close to 100 percent of cancer cells once that was combined with hormone therapy and radiation.
The approach can be repeated many times if the tumor returns in order to keep the tumor at a distance.
Cryoablation has become the treatment of choice, as it is used to treat tumors in the breast smaller than half an inch in size. It has been shown that it can fight bigger mass tumors, as well.
How did the researchers conduct the study?
The study examined a sample of 60 patients who went through cryoablation. Those patients had not been able to go under surgery, mainly due to age, heart problems, high blood pressure, or stage III cancer through chemotherapy.
They were a combination of tumor sizes, ranging from as large as 3.5 inches, as well as tumors with an average size of about half an inch.
The cryoablation is conducted either in tight collaboration with local anesthesia or under the lightest kind of sedation. Researchers mentioned that it takes just under a half-hour for the freezing method while patients can go for the procedure and go home on the same day.
According to US News, Bryce added, “Surgery is still the best option for tumor removal, but there are thousands of women who, for various reasons, cannot have surgery,” and, “We are optimistic that this can give more women hope on their treatment journeys.”
Moreover, Bryce mentioned that the research will continue and that these patients will be observed for future outcomes. Therefore, data should be collected regularly for various possible outcomes in order to understand the long-term effectiveness of the procedure.