Cryoablation effective in women with breast cancer

A minimally invasive procedure called cryoablation that uses ice to freeze and destroy tumors has proven effective for women with large breast cancer tumors, according to a study presented March 27 at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) meeting in Salt Lake City. The finding suggests the technique may provide a new treatment path for women who are not candidates for lumpectomy, or surgical removal, noted Yolanda Bryce, MD, an interventional radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and senior author of the study. “Surgery is still the best option for tumor removal, but there are thousands of women who, for various reasons, cannot have surgery,” Bryce said, in a news release from SIR.  “We are optimistic that this can give more women hope on their treatment journeys.” Cryoablation uses imaging guidance typically with ultrasound or CT to locate tumors. An interventional radiologist then inserts small, needle-like probes into the breast to create an ice ball that surrounds the tumor and kills the cancer cells. Previous research suggests that when the procedure is combined with hormonal therapy and radiation, patients can have nearly 100% of their tumors destroyed, Bryce noted. To date, however, the treatment has been successfully used only to treat tumors smaller than 1.5 cm. The research was presented during the meeting's closing plenary session by Jolie Jean, MD, a radiology resident at Weill Cornell Medicine. The study ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Interventional Breast Source Type: news