- It is a technique that is used in the treatment of certain types of cancer and that consists of destroying malignant tissue by freezing cancer cells.
- It will be used to treat elderly patients with breast cancer who are not candidates for surgery.
- The technique makes it possible to address localized cancers without the need to carry out invasive surgery, which allows for a faster, painless recovery and with fewer complications.
The Breast Unit of the University Hospital of Torrejón has incorporated cryoablation into its portfolio of services to treat elderly patients with breast cancer who are not candidates for surgery. This new technique makes it possible to eliminate malignant tissue in localized tumors up to three or four centimeters in diameter through freezing. The unit's Radiology team has successfully carried out its first cryoablation to destroy cancer cells in a 93-year-old patient without the need for an invasive approach such as a mastectomy. Through this procedure, a three-centimeter tumor located three millimeters from the skin has been frozen at -20ºC.
This is a novel percutaneous ultrasound-guided therapeutic technique that involves freezing cancer cells at extremely cold temperatures to destroy malignant tissue. It is done by inserting needles into the tumor, through the skin, to freeze the cancerous tissue with cold substances such as liquid nitrogen, causing the cancer cells to break down for gradual removal by the body. Additionally, the procedure can be performed in an outpatient setting without general anesthesia, allowing patients to return home the same day for a faster, painless recovery with fewer complications.
“We have implanted cryoablation in the treatment of breast cancer for patients who are not candidates for surgery due to various reasons, such as the presence of underlying medical conditions or comorbidities that make surgery too risky”, explain it Dr. Julia Camps, Corporate Head and Coordinator of Radiology of the Breast Area of the Ribera health group. “In the event that they have hormone receptors in the tumor, they start a hormone therapy treatment and, as soon as how they respond is evaluated, they decide if there is a need to perform a cryoablation. If the response is not positive or if they do not have hormonal receptors, performing this technique is valued.", Anade.
The Breast Unit of the University Hospital of Torrejón emphasizes that cryoablation is an ideal procedure for specific cases and that it is not indicated for all breast cancers: “At the Tumor Committee, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, and surgeons evaluate every breast cancer diagnosis on a weekly basis to study the best treatment options and choose the most appropriate approach for each patient. Cryoablation is indicated to treat certain types of cancers and patients”,analyzes Dr. Camps.
From the service they emphasize the importance of early diagnosis to detect the tumor on time and offer different treatment options that improve the prognosis of the disease and avoid unnecessary interventions. "Smaller tumors with a localized phase have a better long-term prognosis and allow us to perform much smaller and more limited surgeries, which do not leave sequelae in the breast," concludes the Dr. Lorenzo Rabadán, Head of the Breast Unit of the Torrejón University Hospital.
