Percutaneous Cryoablation Shows Promise in Treating Breast Tumors

A new study published in the Journal of Cancer Therapy shows that percutaneous cryoablation presents a potential substitute for lumpectomy for tumors <15mm using ProSense cryoablation system from IceCure.

The peer-reviewed article titled, “VAB and MRI Following Percutaneous Ultra-Sound Guided Cryoablation for Primary Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study in Japan,” was published in the Journal of Cancer Therapy by lead author Dr. Hisanori Kawamoto, MD, PhD from the Department of Breast Surgery Breast and Imaging Center, St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Japan.

“We are excited to see the publication of this data from an independent study which further supports the use of our ProSense Cryoablation System to eliminate small malignant lesions in the breast instead of performing breast surgery under general anesthesia (i.e, lumpectomy),” commented Eyal Shamir, Chief Executive Officer of IceCure.

The independent study conducted at the St. Marianna University Breast & Imaging Center in Kawasaki City, Japan, enrolled eight female patients, 53 to 72 years old with a mean age of 62 years, who were diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tumors. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cryoablation of the breast tumor was performed using IceCure's ProSense under local anesthesia without the need for subsequent resection. The procedure lasted for 40 minutes on average. All patients received radiation and endocrine therapies (RT, ET). The patients were followed using vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB), mammography (MG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and Moiré Topography for cosmetic outcomes.

The article concludes that although conducted on a limited number of patients, the data shows feasibility of cryoablation for the elimination of small malignant lesions in the breast, along with promising safety prospects.

In addition, the article says percutaneous cryoablation of early-stage low-risk breast cancer tumors smaller than 15 mm presents a potential substitute for lumpectomy, offering encouraging short- to mid-term oncology results with good cosmesis outcomes. Patients would be able to benefit from local anesthesia in an outpatient setting and shorter recovery period.