Cryotherapy for Benign Breast Lumps

A study has found cryotherapy a safe and effective office-based treatment for reducing benign breast lumps.

The ultrasound-guided procedure uses exceptionally cold temperatures to freeze and kill abnormal tissue. After the breast tissue is numbed around the mass, doctors insert a cryoprobe, similar to a large needle, into the middle of the lesion. An ice ball forms at the tip of the probe and continues to grow until the ultrasound confirms that the entire lump has been engulfed, killing the tissue.

The procedure offers three advantages, according to lead author Peter J. Littrup, M.D., professor of radiology, urology, and radiation oncology at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI, USA). Ice is easily visualized with both ultrasound and computed tomography (CT), and cryotherapy is virtually painless when the area around the tumor is numbed with a local anesthetic. The third benefit is the outcome. "Cryotherapy preserves the breast's supporting architecture, or collagen, and does not leave significant surgical scars,” said Dr. Littrup, who presented the study at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago (IL, USA).

Researchers treated 42 fibroadenomas in 27 patients with ultrasound-guided cryotherapy to evaluate outcomes and patient acceptance of cryotherapy instead of surgical removal. On average, the fibroadenomas were reduced by 73%, with no significant complications. Patients were pleased with the cosmetic results.




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