Acceptance and Results of Cryoablation for the Treatment of Early Breast Cancer in Non-Surgical Patients.

Abstract

Evaluate acceptance of percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) treatment by patients with early breast cancer (BC) who choosed not to have surgery and present our experience in the use of PCA for the local control of BC in this group of patients. All biopsy-proven early BC diagnosed in our institution as non-surgical patients between January 2020 and December 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. We recorded if PCA was offered and if it was accepted by the patient.PCA was performed under ultrasound (US) guidance, using a liquid nitrogen-based system. Mammography and US or contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) follow-up was scheduled every 6 months for five years. Patient's tolerance to the procedure, adverse effects and results regarding local control of the disease were assessed. A total of 66 early BC were diagnosed in 63 patients who decided not to have surgery. Median age was 88 years (range 60-99 years). Forty-three (95.6%) of the 45 patients offered PCA accepted. Thirty-nine malignant tumors (median size 24 mm) underwent PCA. All cases were previously reviewed in a multidisciplinary tumor board. Complete tumoral necrosis was achieved in 81.3% of the cases followed ≥ 6 months. After a median follow-up of 16 months, the complete ablation rate in Luminal BC ≤ 25 mm was 100%. No major complications were seen. Non-surgical patients with early BC accepted PCA when the treatment was offered. PCA is safe effective and well-tolerated outpatient procedure. The study outcomes suggest that PCA could be an alternative to surgery for the management of BC in this group of patients. Patients with early BC who choose not to have surgery accept PCA This percutaneous approach probably allows local control of early BC, mainly in ≤ 25 mm Luminal tumors.