Cryoablation appears promising for small tumors in early-stage breast cancer
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Cryoablation can successfully treat the majority of small breast cancers with few side effects or complications, according to a small study published recently in the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
Researchers performed the technique on breast cancer patients in 19 centers across the United States. The tumors were all 2 cm or smaller. The primary end point was the rate of complete tumor ablation (no remaining invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ on pathologic examination of the targeted lesion).
Overall, cryoablation was successful for 92 percent of the cancers, and 100 percent all tumors measuring less than 1 cm, the researchers found.
“We know cryoablation will kill small tumors. In order to truly compare with lumpectomy, we need a study where the patients undergo ablation and then are not treated with surgery,” study coauthor Deanna Attai, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, told HealthDay. “We need to follow them for at least five years to determine if recurrence rates are higher with ablation alone.”
The cryoablation probes were supplied by Sanarus Technologies.
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