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A study reports at SIR 2010 meeting that there were no cases of localized recurrence and only one case of regional recurrence over a mean follow-up of 18 months.

Researchers reported that Multiprobe cryotherapy was safe and effective in breast cancer patients and didn't require subsequent surgery to ensure that all tumor cells were killed.

In a small study, there were no cases of localized recurrence and only one case of regional recurrence over a mean follow-up of 18 months, Peter J. Littrup, MD, of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, and colleagues reported here at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting ( SIR 2010 ) in Tampa, Fla.

The researchers wanted to assess that approach in breast cancer, so they treated 14 patients for a total of 27 breast cancer tumors.

All patients had local anesthesia and were only mildly sedated.

The 2.4-mm cryoprobes reached temperatures near -30 degrees Celsius. Saline injections protected the skin and chest wall from the cold.

Seven patients had only ultrasound guidance for probe delivery and ice margin definition, while another seven used ultrasound and computed tomography ( CT ). Magnetic resonance ( MR ) helped define multifocal recurrences and initial tumors.

Littrup said the study is now in its sixth year and still has not seen any local recurrence; there was only one regional recurrence.

There have been no significant complications, and patients reported minimal discomfort, he added.

Biopsies at the margin of the cryotherapy site and immediately after the procedure were all negative, negating the need for surgery to assure cancer cells had been destroyed.

Littrup said ultrasound produced sufficient ice visualization for small tumors, while CT confirmed posterior margins and overall ice extent for larger regions requiring more than three probes or deep lesions.

" MR planning and follow-up is crucial to have a road map and know where all these tumors and treated areas] are," he said. " Ultrasound and CT are a crucial combo as well, when dealing with deeper and or more bulky tumors."

He concluded that using multiple probes "ensures thorough coverage, minimal discomfort, and excellent cosmetic satisfaction for breast conservation."

Source: SIR

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