Cryoablation of breast lesions: our experience

Abstract

Cryoablation is a therapeutic technique that uses very low temperatures to destroy cells; transcutaneous cryoablation can be performed under imaging guidance. This simple procedure is done on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia. Cryoablation has proven effective in the treatment of benign breast lesions, such as fibroadenomas. Nowadays, its main use in malignant breast lesions is to reduce the size of the mass in cases where surgery is contraindicated. Nevertheless, other uses in malignant breast disease are being investigated. Cryoablation can strengthen the tumor response to immunotherapy. Likewise, in the near future, it may become an alternative to surgery for the local control of early-stage neoplasms. This article aims to describe our experience using cryoablation with liquid nitrogen to treat benign and malignant breast lesions and to review the fundamentals of the technique and its indications. Since 2019 we have used cryoablation to treat 7 benign and 9 malignant lesions without significant complications, achieving excellent esthetic outcomes. Cryoablation has been incorporated into our institution's breast unit's protocol.

Keywords: Ablation technique; Breast; Crioterapia; Cryotherapy; Guiada por ultrasonidos; Mama; Técnica de ablación; Ultrasound-guided.