Outpatient cryodestruction as a method of choice in the treatment of recurrent skin cancer

Abstract

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of malignant neoplasms in Russia. As a rule, radiation therapy, surgery, and combined modality treatment are used for skin cancer treatment. Unfortunately, the above methods are not always successful. The reason for the incomplete effect of surgical treatment may be insufficient radicalism of the intervention, due to the doctor's desire to inflict the least trauma on the surrounding healthy tissues to obtain a good cosmetic result. Selective destruction of tumor tissue during cryogenic exposure with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues is accompanied by a hemostatic effect, which is especially important in the treatment of both primary and recurrent disintegrating tumor ulcers. The aim of the study was the determination of the expediency of cryodestruction as a method of choice for outpatient treatment. It was a controlled, non-randomized study. The criterion for inclusion in the study was the diagnosis of recurrent skin cancer upon the first visit and subsequent treatment at the outpatient clinic of the State Budgetary Institution of the Rostov Region “Oncological Dispensary of Novocherkassk” from 2016 to 2021. The patients were planned to undergo tumor cryodestruction in several freeze-thaw cycles, lasting 2-5 minutes. The results of this study indicate the high efficiency of cryodestruction. Complete recovery was noted in 625 (84.1%) patients. 119 (15.9%) patients, who had continued growth and repeated relapses in the period from 1 to 18 months, underwent repeated cryodestruction. Subsequently, continued growth and new relapses were not observed in 104 patients. In the presence of limited recurrences of skin cancer of various localizations, cryogenic treatment is effective (recovery is the outcome in 98%) in patients of different sexes and ages, regardless of the location and extent of the tumor process, and it is the method of choice for treatment on an outpatient basis.